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HOUSE  LIBRARY 

JESUIT  MOVITIATE 
WERNtRSVILLE,  PA. 


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THE    LIFE 


OF   THE    BLESSED 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS, 


DE    PAUEDKS    Y    FLORES, 


AN    AMERICAN    VIRG 


CALLED 


THE  LILY  OF  Q 


BY    FATHKR    JOSKPII    BOERO,  S.  Ji 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISUED  BY   PETER  F.  CUNNINGHAM, 
104  South  Third  Street. 

M.D.CCCLV. 


The  life  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  de  Paredes, 
now  first  translated  into  English  is  cordially  recommended 
to  the  perusal  of  the  faithful.  It  is  another  glorious  testi- 
mony to  the  beauty,  truth  and  holiness  of  our  religion — 
another  strong  inducement  to  cultivate  devotion  towards 
the  saints  of  God,  and  to  seek  their  aid  in  working  out 
our  salvation. 

JOHN  N.  NEUMANN, 

Bishop  of  Philadelphia. 
Aug.  29,  1855. 


Entered  according  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the 
year  1855,  by 

PETER  r.  CDNNaNGHAM, 

In  the  Office  of  the  CTerk  of  the  District  Court  of  the 
Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


JESUr.    NOVITIATJt 
HOUSE  LIBRARY 


U/CrDikiem<- 


6X 

r 


A.  M.  D.  G. 

TO  THE  LADIES  OP  ST.  ROSe's  SODALITY  ATTACHED  TO  ST. 

Joseph's  church,  Philadelphia,  pa. 

Aware  of  your  distinguished  piety,  I  think  myself  justi- 
fied in  presenting  to  your  Sacred  Association  a  translation 
of  the  life  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  lately  raised 
to  the  honours  of  the  altar  by  his  Holiness  Pope  Pius  IX. 
But  when  I  reflect  also  that  the  Blessed  Rose  of  Lima  i.? 
one  of  your  principal  patronesses,  I  consider  myself  bound 
to  offer  to  your  veneration  another  flower  of  South  Ame- 
rica, her  near  relative,  the  Lily  of  Quito. 

Accept,  therefore,  this  tribute  of  my  sincere  regard  for 
you,  and  emulate  the  virtues  of  which  she  was  so  distin- 
guished a  model. 

A.  L.  M. 

Feast  of  St.  Aloysius,  1855. 


PREFACE. 

To  an  age  so  corrupt  and  vitiated  as  the 
present,  so  fascinated  with  the  pleasures,  the 
delights  and  ease  of  the  present  life,  and  on 
tliat  account  an  enemy  of  the  cross  of  Christ 
and  Christian  penance,  the  life  of  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  de  Paredes,  lately  raised  tc 
the  honours  of  the  altar  by  the  Sovereign  Pon- 
tiff Pius  IX.,  cannot  be  an  acceptable  or  an 
agreeable  offering. 

Born  of  a  noble  family  and  enriched  with  all 
those  qualities  and  prerogatives  which  young 
ladies  of  the  world  so  highly  prize,  and  which 
they  arc  so  fond  of  displaying,  she  began  from 
her  tender  years  to  entertain  a  contempt  of  her- 
self, and  to  despise  whatever  the  world  loves 
and  embraces ;  afterwards  to  mortify  her  pas- 
sions and  macerate  her  innocent  flesh,  making 
use  of  a  thousand  strategems  and  ingenious  in- 
ventions in  her  penitential  course.  If  tlie  facts, 
which  are  recorded,  had  not  been  juridically 
deposed  in  the  different  processes  by  a  great 
number  of  eye-witnesses  and  persons  who  could 
be  relied  upon,  we  should  scarcely  be  able  to 
persuade  ourselves  that  a  little  girl  of  a  few 


yi  PREFACE. 


years,  of  a  delicate  constitution,  and  living  in 
the  midst  of  the  world,  would  have  had  the  cou- 
rasre  to  underaro  such  an  enormous  amount  of 
rigid  austerities,  the  recital  of  which  alone  makes 
the  blood  creep  and  shudder  in  our  veins.  And 
what  still  more  increases  the  wonder  is  that  she 
had  done  nothing  which  deserved  chastisement, 
having  carried  her  virginal  purity  unspotted, 
and  her  baptismal  innocence  untarnished  to  the 
grave.  To  say  much  in  a  few  words,  she  was 
the  counterpart  of  St.  Aloysius  de  Gonzaga, 
whose  virtues  she  copied  and  whose  example 
she  imitated,  but  whom  she  surpassed  in  the 
rigour  of  her  extraordinary  penances,  dying  also 
like  him  in  the  flower  of  her  age,  in  her  twenty- 
sixth  year. 

The  world,  engrossed  with  the  things  of  the 
earth,  far  from  admiring  and  extolling  such  vir- 
tue, abominates  and  despises  it,  or  at  least  re- 
gards it  as  obsolete  and  antiquated,  and  unsuited 
to  the  carnal  refinement  of  the  age.  Many  also 
even  of  the  professed  followers  of  Christ  will 
stare  when  they  view  such  perfection  and  be- 
come disheartened,  and  despairing  of  ever  reach- 
ing such  an  eminence,  they  will  remain  in  their 
tepidity  without  advancing  a  step. 


PREFACE.  Vll 


God,  however,  has  his  own  ends  in  view  in 
proposinj^  to  us  tliese  sublime  and  heroic  exam- 
ples of  sanctity.  In  the  first  place  he  wishes  t(» 
make  us  see  the  power  of  his  grace,  whicli  not 
only  renders  possible  but  easy  and  agreeable 
whatever  is  contrary  to  the  weakness  of  nature. 
In  the  second  place  he  intends  to  rouse  the  sin- 
ner, to  call  him  to  penance,  and  conduct  him  to 
the  observance  of  tlie  divine  precepts,  setting 
before  liim  certain  privileged  souls,  enai)led  by 
him  to  suffer  great  things,  even  beyond  what  is 
needful  and  what  he  himself  commands.  Finally, 
he  gives  vigour  and  alacrity  to  fervent  Chris- 
tians, in  order  that  they  may  emulate  the  gener- 
ous sacrifices  of  his  dearer  and  more  faithful 
servants,  if  not  entirely  at  least  partially. 

Such  I  liope  will  be  the  fruit  which  the  well- 
disposed  faithful  will  reap  from  the  perusal  of 
this  life.  And  what  gives  me  confidence  is  the 
lively  instances  of  many  to  have  a  second  edition : 
the  first,  which  was  issued  on  the  occasion  of  the 
solemn  beatification,  having  been  almost  entirely 
exhausted.  Thanks  to  God,  I  know  that  it  has 
been  read  with  admiration  and  pleasure,  and 
that  in  several  souls  it  has  produced  the  salutary 
effects  of  a  change  of  life,  and  an  increase  in 


?111  PREFACE. 


fervour.  This  is  a  sign  that  faith  is  not  entirely 
extinct  in  the  hearts  of  Christians,  and  that  the 
actions  of  the  just,  although  arduous  and  su- 
blime, are  strong  inducements  to  virtue. 

It  was  my  intention  to  have  re-published  the 
same  history  which  had  been  distributed  at  the 
time  of  the  beatification,  and  written  with  no 
ordinary  simplicity  and  elegance  by  the  pious 
priest  D.  Giovanni  del  Castiglio,  after  having 
put  it,  however,  in  somewhat  better  order,  and 
curtailed  the  frequent  repetition,  which  must 
have  been  tiresome  to  the  reader.  But  when  I 
had  set  about  the  Avork  and  made  some  progress, 
I  found  that  in  place  of  digesting  it  into  a  better 
order,  I  had  composed  almost  a  new  work. 
Wherefore  I  no  longer  closely  followed  the 
above  writer,  but  sought  to  add  several  facts 
which  I  had  read  in  the  process,  that  had  been 
omitted  by  the  other,  and  which  were  well 
worthy  of  being  known. 

Whatever  may  have  been  my  success  in  this 
labour,  I  shall  consider  myself  as  sufficiently 
rewarded,  and  shaH  be  perfectly  satisfied,  if  it 
redound  in  any  measure  to  the  glory  of  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  and  to  the  spiritual 
advantage  of  souls. 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Dedication 3 

CHAPTER   I. 

Resemblance  between  the  sanctity  of  St.  Rose  of  Lima 
and  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  Wonderful 
things  that  took  place  before  and  after  the  birth  of 
Mary  Ann.  Extraordinary  examples  of  abstinence 
and  charity  given  in  her  childhood  •         -         -     12 

CHAPTER    II. 

Her  first  fervour  in  devotion  and  piety.  She  is  mirac- 
ulously preserved  from  many  dangers  which  threat- 
ened her  life.  Most  extraordinary  artifices  to  afflict 
and  torture  her  innocent  body         -         -         -         -     27 

CHAPTER    III. 

The  solitary  and  penitential  life  which  she  led  in  the 
villa  and  in  the  city.  Attempts  twice  to  fly  from 
home  to  go  and  convert  the  infidels,  and  to  live  in 
solitude,  and  is  prevented  by  Almighty  God  in  won- 
derful ways 43 

CHAPTER    IV. 

She  is  not  yet  eight  years  of  age  and  is  admitted  to 
holy  communion,  for  which  she  prepares  herself  with 
great  fervour,  and  derives  abundant  fruit  from  it.  ' 
She  consecrates  herself  to  God  by  the  three  simple 
vows  of  poverty,  chastity  and  obedience.  Gives 
herself  up  entirely  to  the  direction  of  her  confessor, 
and  suffers  contradictions  and  opposition  on  ac- 
count of  her  daily  communion        -         -         -         '58 

CHAPTER    V. 

Several  times  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  is  on  the  very 
point  of  entering  a  monastery  to  become  a  Reli- 
gious, but  is  always  prevented  by  Almighty  God 
from  executing  her  resolution  ;  finally  by  a  special 
light  from  heaven  she  determines  to  lead  a  solitary 
life  in  her  own  home.     She  detaches  herself  from 


CONTENTS. 


91 


every  thing,  and  takes  leave  of  her  relatives.  Her 
prophecies,  and  a  remarkable  occurrence  that  hap- 
pened to  her  niece  D.  Sebastiana   -         -         -         -     73 

CHAPTER    VI. 

The  rigid  course  of  life  wliich  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann 
commenced  to  lead  in  her  retirement.  The  order 
and  distribution  of  her  actions.  The  inventions 
and  strange  contrivances  to  torment  her  body,  and 
the  horrible  manner  in  which  she  treated  it.  The 
ardent  desire  she  had  of  shedding  her  blood  for  the 
love  of  Jesus  Christ ;  it  is  rewarded  by  Almighty 
God  with  wonderful  prodigies  .         .         -         - 

CHAPTER    VII. 

The  extraordinary  rigour  practised  by  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  in  the  short  sleep  which  she  took  during 
the  night.  Description  of  her  ordinary  and  extra- 
ordinary beds.  Her  wonderful  abstinence  from 
every  kind  of  food,  prolonged  from  eight  to  fifteen 
days  in  succession,  and  rendered  more  painful  by 
an  heroic  exercise  of  mortification  -         -         -  113 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Blessed  Mary  Ann,  after  being  reduced  to  the 
last  degree  of  attenuation  by  the  rigour  of  her  fasts, 
is  instantaneously  restored  to  her  usual  appearance 
and  strength,  which  miraculously  continues  to  her 
death.  Proofs  of  her  being  supported  for  many 
years  on  daily  communion  alone.  Her  tender  de- 
votion to  the  most  Blessed  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  133 

CHAPTER    IX. 

The  solitary  life  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  in  her  do- 
mestic retreat.  Her  interiour  mortification  and 
perfect  mastery  over  her  passions.  How  perfectly 
she  observed  the  vows  of  poverty  and  obedience, 
even  in  things  difficult  and  repugnant  to  nature      -  145 

CHAPTER     X. 

The  great  love  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  towards  God. 
Her  ardent  desire  to  suffer,  and  the  incredible  de- 


CONTENTS.  XI 


light  she  experienced  in  sufferings.  Her  innocence 
of  life,  and  the  angelic  purity  of  her  manners,  which 
she  preserved  unspotted  to  her  death.  Wonderful 
effects  of  the  same 163 

CHAPTER    XI. 

The  high  degree  of  prayer  to  which  the  Blessed  Mary 
Ann  was  raised  by  Almighty  God.  The  continual 
but  vain  assaults  of  the  devil  to  divert  her  from  it. 
The  heroic  resignation  and  patience  she  displayed 
in  time  of  aridity  and  desolation  of  spirit.  God 
provides  her  with  an  experienced  director  who  con- 
soles her         ........  181 

CHAPTER    XII. 

The  love  and  devotion  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  for 
the  most  august  Trinity,  for  the  mysteries  of  the 
life  of  Christ,  for  the  most  Holy  Virgin  and  her 
patron  Saints. 196 

CHAPTER     XIII. 

The  zeal  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  for  the  salvation 
of  souls.  Her  stratagems  to  bring  back  to  a  better 
life  those  who  had  gone  astray.  Remarkable  con- 
version of  a  noble  Indian  lady.  Her  charity  to 
relieve  the  temporal  wants  of  her  neighbour  con- 
firmed by  Almighty  God  with  miracles  -         -         •  205 

CHAPTER     XIV. 

Supernatura  gifts  imparted  to  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann 
by  Almighty  God.  She  sees  hidden  and  distant 
things,  and  predicts  the  future.  She  miraculously 
heals  many  persons  of  mortal  distempers,  and  re 
calls  a  dead  woman  to  life 220 

CHAPTER    XV. 

The  invincible  patience  and  perfect  resignation  of  the 
the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  in  her  long  and  painful  in- 
firmities. Her  heroic  fortitude  in  mortifying  her 
thirst  rewarded  by  Almighty  God  with  miracles.     -  234 


XU  ■  CONTE^fTS. 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

The  great  desire  which  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  had  of 
death.  She  offers  herself  to  God  as  a  victim  for 
the  preservation  of  her  fellow-citizens,  and  falls 
grievously  sick.  Receives  with  the  most  tender 
affection  the  last  sacraments,  and  expires  in  the 
arms  of  Jesus  and  Mary,  who  descend  from  heaven 
to  receive  her  soul,  whose  glory  is  revealed  to  Bro- 
ther Ferdinando  della  Croce 242 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

The  universal  commotion  of  the  city  at  the  report  of 
Mary  Ann's  death.  A  lily  miraculously  springs 
from  her  blood,  whence  she  acquires  the  title  of 
Lily  of  Quito.  Great  crowds  of  people  at  the  trans- 
lation of  her  body  and  her  funeral  obsequies.  Pro- 
digies which  took  place  before  and  after  it     -         -  258 

CHAPTER     XVIII. 

The  esteem  and  the  universal  opinion  of  sanctity  in 
which  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  was  held.  Authentic 
testimonies  of  her  confessors  ....  267 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

Numerous  prodigies  wrought  by  Almighty  God  through 
the  intercession  of  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann.  A  few 
of  the  most  remarkable  ones  are  given.  Conver- 
sions and  reformations  of  lives  produced  by  the 
reading  of  her  life 275 

CHAPTER    XX. 

Two  miracles  approved  of  by  the  Sacred  Congrega- 
tion of  Rites  before  the  beatification  of  the  servant 
of  God 291 

CHAPTER    XXI. 

Introduction  of  the  cause  into  the  Sacred  Congrega- 
tion of  Rites ;  its  progress  and  termination     -        -  2'^^ 


LIFE 

OP  THE  BLESSED 


MAllY  ANN  OF  JW^U'^^^^^Y 


DE     PAREDES     Y     PL( 


CHAPTER  I.    \^8«T0^[MS^ 


RESEMBLANCE  BETWEEN  THE  SANCTITY  OP  ST. 
ROSE  OF  LIMA  AND  THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN  OP 
JESUS.  WONDERFUL  THINGS  THAT  TOOK  PLACE 
BEFORE  AND  AFTER  THE  BIRTH  OP  MARY  ANN. 
EXTRAORDINARY  EXAMPLES  OF  ABSTINENCE  AND 
CHARITY  GIVEN  IN  HER  CHILDHOOD. 

For  the  purpose  of  manifesting  the  force  of 
his  divine  grace  and  to  enliven  the  fervor  of 
faith  among  the  inhabitants  of  South  America, 
whether  natives  or  strangers  who  came  there 
from  Europe,  or  for  the  Ijenefit  of  those  who 
had  lately  passed  from  idolatry  to  the  Catholic 
Religion,  it  pleased  Almighty  God  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  seventoonth  century  to  place 
before  the  world  two  renowned  examples  of  ex 
traordinary  perfection  and  holiness.  And  that 
they  might  have  the  greater    efficacy  to  per- 

2  13 


14  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


suade  and  move,  he  selected  two  virgins,  feeble 
with  respect  to  sex,  of  a  tender  age  and  of  very 
weak  constitutions.  These  were  Rose  of  St. 
Mary  and  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus ;  the  one  born  in 
Lima  and  the  other  in  Quito.  Both  having 
been  distinguished  from  their  very  infancy  with 
the  clearest  evidences  of  the  divine  predi- 
lection, the  first  received  the  name  of  Rose,  be- 
cause she  was  scarcely  born,  when  the  figure 
and  color  of  her  face  in  the  cradle  seemed  in 
some  measure  to  resemble  a  beautiful  rose  ;  the 
second  was  called  the  Lily,  from  the  fact  that  a 
most  odoriferous  lily  sprung  from  her  blood 
which  continued  for  a  long  time  without  any 
sign  of  corruption.  Both  of  them  lived  in  the 
world,  and  after  tlie  example  of  St.  Catherine 
of  Sienna,  whom  they  both  proposed  to  imitate, 
bound  themselves  to  God  by  the  vows  of  chas- 
tity, poverty  and  obedience,  and  found  their  re- 
treat and  solitute  witliin  the  walls  of  their  pa- 
ternal homes.  They  afflicted  and  macerated 
their  bodies  in  so  many  difi'erent  and  unusual 
ways,  by  penances  the  most  extraordinary,  that 
in  this  they  are  more  worthy  of  admiration  than 
imitation.  Both  were  virgins  of  angelic  pu- 
rity, both  preserved  their  baptismal  innocence 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  15 


to  their  last  breath,  reached  in  a  short  time  the 
highest  point  of  perfection  and  died  in  the 
flower  of  their  age,  Rose  in  her  31st  and  Mary 
Ann  in  her  26th  year.  I  will  say  moreover, 
that  if  the  ancient  traditions  do  not  deceive  us, 
both  had  their  origin  from  the  same  stock  of  the 
family  of  Flores,  whose  surname  both  bore,  and 
hence  they  were  related  to  each  other  by  ties  of 
blood  and  a  common  descent  from  the  same  an- 
cestors. Because  there  is  a  current  report,  that 
three  brothers  by  the  name  of  Flores  from  the 
city  of  Toledo  crossed  over  to  America  from 
New  Spain,  and  that  ©ne  of  them  settled  in 
Cuzco,  another  in  Lima  and  a  third  who  was 
Don  Girolamo  Flores  de  Paredes,  father  of  Ma- 
ry Ann  and  perhaps  the  youngest  of  the  three, 
in  Quito.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that 
Mary  Ann  bore  a  most  striking  likeness  to  Rose 
in  her  manner  of  life  and  her  admirable  sanc- 
tity ;  and  it  would  seem  that  God  wished  to  per- 
petuate in  her,  if  the  expression  be  allowed,  the 
copy  of  the  other,  for  the  latter  was  born  not 
more  than  a  year  after  the  death  of  the  former. 
Of  all  which  things  the  reader  will  be  better 
able  to  judge  from  the  facts,  which  will  be  rela- 
ted in  this  history  of  her  wonderful  life,  which 


16  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


with  the  divine  assistance  I  have  undertaken 
to  write. 

]\Iary  Ann  the  subject  of  our  memoir  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Quito  on  the  31st  of  Octo- 
ber in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1618,  of  Don  Giro- 
lamo  Flores  Zenel  de  Paredes,  a  nobleman  of 
Toledo  and  D.  Marianna  Cranol)les  di  Xara- 
milo,  adescendent  also  of  one  of  the  most  illus- 
trious Spanish  families  of  that  Kinf^dom.  To 
the  nobility  of  blood  which  they  inherited  from 
their  ancestors,  her  parents  united  so  much  de- 
votion and  Christian  piety,  that  they  were  a 
mirror  and  a  model  to  their  fellow  citizens, 
who  were  accustomed  to  call  the  house  of  Pare- 
des by  no  other  name  than  the  house  of  prayer, 
and  the  house  of  saints.  Seven  children,  three 
boys  and  four  girls  were  already  the  fruit  of 
their  holy  marriage,  when  D.  Marianna  already 
somewhat  advanced  in  years,  perceiving  herself 
again  pregnant,  was  troubled  with  much  an- 
guish and  anxiety,  believing  that  her  near  con- 
finement would  prove  fatal  to  her.  But  she 
soon  had  reason  to  lay  aside  all  fear.  A  little 
before  tlie  middle  of  the  night  of  the  31st  of 
October  being  seized  with  the  pains  of  labor 
and  in  great  suffering,  one  of  the  servants  of 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  17 


tlie  house  "went  out  into  the  open  air,  and  rais- 
ing her  eyes  to  licavcn  |as  if  about  to  re- 
commend her  mistress  to  God,  saw  a  most 
beautiful  palm  formed  of  the  brightest  stars, 
the  trunk  of  which  seemed  to  rest  directly  over 
the  room  where  the  sick  woman  lay.  Not  being 
able  from  stupor  to  articulate  a  single  word,  by 
signs  and  gestures  she  called  the  domestics,  who 
ran  immediately  to  her  and  among  them  came  the 
father  D.  Girolamo.  All  plainly  saw  it  with 
their  eyes,  and  some  who  survived,  testified  in 
the  juridical  process  to  this  unusual  and  mar- 
vellous sign  given  by  Almighty  God  at  the  birth 
of  this  beloved  little  child.  At  that  very  mo- 
ment D.  I^[arianna  was  happily  delivered,  and  at 
the  same  time  that  wonderful  group  of  stars 
grew  dim  and  disappeared. 

The  child  just  born  appeared  so  amiable  and 
so  dear  on  account  of  its  beautiful  features, 
that  it  attracted  the  eyes  and  hearts  of  all  that 
were  present.  D.  Girolama  her  eldest  sister 
took  it  up  in  her  arms,  and  moved  by  feelings 
of  mingled  delight  and  piety  exclaimed,  Alas ! 
0  beautiful  and  charming  infant,  what  have  you 
come  to  do  in  this  miserable  world !  God 
knows  how  many  dangers,  and  what  misery  your 

2» 


18  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


beauty  will  bring  upon  you !  But  in  this  she 
was  certainly  mistaken;  and  had  afterwards 
more  than  any  other,  cause  to  admire  the  con- 
summate sanctity  of  her  sister.  The  next  day, 
which  was  the  solemnity  of  all  saints,  they 
wished  to  have  the  child  immediately  baptized ; 
but  all  things  not  being  yet  prepared  as  the 
father  D.  Girolamo  wished  them,  it  was  deferred 
to  the  22d  of  November,  a  day  sacred  to  the  an- 
nual commemoration  of  St.  Cecilia  virgin  and 
martyr.  Her  relative  D.  Gabriele  Melendes 
Granobles  stood  sponsor  at  the  sacred  font,  and 
to  please  the  mother  they  gave  her  the  name  of 
Mary  Ann. 

God  having  now  taken  possession  of  this 
soul,  filled  it  with  the  treasures  of  his  grace, 
and  from  that  moment  began  to  prepare  her  for 
that  lofty  perfection  in  a  wonderful  manner,  to 
which  from  all  eternity  he  had  destined  her. 
Two  things  and  both  of  them  really  astonishing 
are  related  of  Mary  Ann's  infancy ;  and  pre- 
cisely regard  those  two  singular  virtues,  inno- 
cence and  penance,  which  she  afterwards  culti- 
vated, as  we  will  see,  with  so  much  care  during 
the  whole  course  of  her  life.  D.  Tommeso  de 
Paredes,  brother  of  the  saint,  deposed  in  the  ju- 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  19 


ridical  process,  that  the  mother  wishing  to  ap- 
ply the  child  to  her  breast  to  suckle  it,  the 
child  at  other  times  the  most  quiet  and  docile 
of  creatures  indignantly  refused  to  take  any 
nourishment.  It  passed  therefore  the  whole  of 
the  first  day  after  its  birth  fasting,  and  only 
towards  evening  it  took  some  refreshment  by 
applying  once  to  the  mother's  breast,  and  then 
it  would  taste  no  more  till  the  middle  of  the 
next  day.  The  very  same  thing  happened  two 
or  three  times  in  succession ;  nor  could  the 
mother  with  all  her  endeavors  ever  induce  the 
dear  little  babe  to  take  nourishment  more  than 
twice  a  day  and  at  determinate  hours,  viz. 
towards  mid-day  and  about  midnight.  Therefore 
suspecting  that  her  own  milk  was  tainted  from 
some  cause,  and  that  this  made  it  disgusting  to 
her  daughter,  she  consigned  her  to  the  nurse. 
But  it  was  all  to  no  purpose  ;  for  the  child  per- 
severed in  its  own  way  ;  and  is  was  observed 
moreover  that  on  Mondays,  Wednesdays  and 
Fridays  of  every  week  it  commenced  and  al- 
ways continued  to  take  nourishment  but  once 
and  that  at  mid-day.  Then  at  last  they  per- 
ceived that  it  was  not  an  effect  of  the  badnes:? 
of  the  nourishment,  but  the  virtue  of  abstinence 


20  MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS. 


wliicli  operated  unpremeditatedly  and  as  it  were 
by  a  prodigy  in  this  soul. 

Nor  was  her  love  of  purity,  which  she  mani- 
fested from  the  very  first  days  after  her  birth, 
less  astonishing.  Being  still  in  her  swaddling 
clothes  everytime  the  servants,  carrying  her  in 
their  arms,  went  forth  upon  the  public  street, 
the  little  child  showed  her  repugnance  to  ap- 
pear in  public  with  her  face  uncovered.  Where- 
fore as  soon  as  she  perceived  that  she  was  out 
of  the  house,  she  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears ; 
nor  was  there  any  way  of  quieting  her,  for  the 
experimeni  was  tried  more  than  once,  except  by 
spreading  over  her  a  veil  that  would  completely 
cover  her  and  hide  her  from  the  eyes  of  others. 
So  shy  of  the  world  did  this  child  show  herself 
and  so  jealous  of  her  innocence. 

These  were  without  doubt  unconscious  emo- 
tions of  grace ;  but  signs  sufficiently  clear,  that 
God  in  a  particular  manner  watched  over  the 
concerns  of  this  beloved  soul.  And  we  have  in 
proof  of  it  anotlier  fact  which  is  deposed  on  the 
testimony  of  an  eye-witness  in  the  juridical 
process.  A  few  months  had  hardly  passed  after 
the  death  of  Mary  Ann,  when  her  father  D.  Gir- 
olamo  passed  from  this  to  a  better  life  in  those 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  21 


sentiments  of  great  piety,  in  which  he  had  al- 
ways lived.     Tlie  widowed  mother  after  having 
paid  to  her  consort  the  last  honours,  in  order  to 
moderate  a  little  her  bitter  grief,  resolved  to  go 
and  pass  some  time  at  one  of  her  villas,  situa- 
ted  in  the  delightful  valley  of  Cayambe,  not 
very   far   from   Quito.     She   started  therefore 
from  the  city,  accompanied  by  her  domestics, 
and  rode  a  mule  with  her  little  child  resting 
upon  her  bosom.     Half  way  upon  her  journey 
she  had  to  cross  a  rivulet  that  was  much  swol- 
len by  the  late  rain.     She  feared   on   this  ac- 
count to  go  before;  but  taking  courage  from 
her  servants,  she  urged   on  her  mule  and  en- 
tered tiie  water.     She  had  hardly  advanced  a 
few  steps  before  the  animal  stumbled  against  a 
rock  and  bending  unexpectedly  forward  gave 
the  lady  such  a  violent  shock,  that  without  per- 
ceiving it  she  let  go  the  child  which  fell  plump 
into  the  water.     The  terrified  mother  immedi- 
ately uttered  a  piercing  cry,  believing  for  cer- 
tain that  her  child  was  already  strangled  and 
carried  away  by  the  torrent.     But  looking  down, 
she  saw  that  so  far  from  being  drowned  she  was 
standing  erect  and  firm,  supported  liy  an  invisi- 
ble hand.     As  soon  as  her  major-domo  heard  of 


22  MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS. 


the  accident,  he  immediately  threw  himself  into 
the  water,  and  taking  the  little  creature,  and 
carrying  her  to  the  opposite  shore,  replaced  her 
in  the  arms  of  her  mother  ;  whose  astonishment 
was  redoubled,  for  pressing  the  child  to  her  bo- 
som and  minutely  examining  her,  she  discovered, 
that  not  only  her  clothes  were  not  wet,  but  not 
even  the  little  shoes  with  which  she  had  seen 
her  standing  upon  the  water. 

All  these  singular  evidences  of  heaven  that 
happened  before  and  after  Mary  Ann's  birth, 
made  her  relations  conceive  the  highest  hopes 
of  her.  All  predicted  great  things  of  her,  and 
they  began  from  that  time  to  regard  her  with  a 
certain  reverence  and  more  as  a  thing  of  God 
than  of  the  world.  The  mother  in  particular, 
who  was  a  most  pious  lady,  took  the  greatest 
care  of  her  and  could  hardly  suffer  her  to  be 
out  of  her  sight.  And  when  it  happened  she 
was  obliged  from  necessity  to  entrust  her  for  a 
short  time  to  one  of  her  sisters,  she  earnestly 
recommended  to  them  to  be  extremely  cautious 
for  fear  of  scandalizing  that  angelic  soul  Mary 
Ann,  because  in  her  was  reared  a  great  servant 
of  God. 

Scarcely  was  she  able  to  stand  upon  her  feet 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  23 


and  to  lisp,  than  her  first  words  were  to  invoke 
with  tenderness  the  names  of  Jesus  and  Mary, 
and  her  first  acts  were  examples  of  fervour  and 
purity.  Being  one  day  led  by  the  hand  out  of 
the  house  by  her  sisters,  D.  Martino  della  Peg- 
na  met  them  and  stopping  for  a  moment  to  speak 
with  them,  when  he  was  on  the  point  of  taking 
leave  he  happened  to  cast  his  eyes  down  upon 
the  little  Mary  Ann,  who  was  then  only  two  or 
three  years  of  age,  and  began  to  caress  and 
play  with  her,  after  which  taking  her  up  in  his 
arms  ho  made  pretences  that  he  wanted  to  kiss 
her.  The  little  child  so  forcibly  resented  this 
act  of  innocent  freedom,  and  blushing  from 
modesty  gave  vent  to  such  a  flood  of  bitter 
tears,  and  at  the  same  time  defended  herself  so 
well  with  her  puny  little  hands,  that  the  doctor 
struck  with  astonishment,  as  he  afterwards  tes- 
tified in  tlie  juridical  process,  handed  her  back 
immediately  to  her  sisters  without  kissing  her. 
As  to  her  fervour  and  devotion,  we  have  the  re- 
lation of  a  most  charming  little  incident  Avhich 
took  place  when  she  was  about  three  years  of 
age.  Her  pious  mother  was  in  the  haliit  of 
rising  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  and  placing 
herself  upon  her  knees  to  pray  with  her  arms 


24  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


extended  in  the  form  of  a  cross.  Once  it  hap- 
pened that  Mary  Ann  being  awake  gently  raised 
the  curtain  with  her  hand,  and  she  had  no  sooner 
seen  her  mother  in  that  humble  posture,  than 
she  quietly  also  got  out  of  bed  and  placed  her- 
self on  her  knees  at  her  side,  and  with  her  arms 
extended.  Here  arose  a  charming  contest  be- 
tween the  little  child  and  its  mother.  The  one 
insisted  that  the  other  should  return  to  bed  and 
sleep.  The  other  begged  to  be  permitted  to 
imitate  her  example.  In  the  end  the  child  con- 
quered, and  remained  a  good  while  praying  the 
best  way  it  knew  how,  and  presenting  a  specta- 
cle of  piety  and  devotion  worthy  the  eyes  of 
angels. 

When  she  was  weaned  she  omitted  nothing 
of  her  abstinence,  on  the  contrary  she  increased 
it :  and  moved  by  the  interior  spirit  which  gui- 
ded her  began  to  fast  so  rigorously  that  she  fre- 
quently fainted  from  loss  of  strength  and  fell 
into  mortal  swoons.  The  mother  and  servants 
of  the  house,  who  were  aware  of  the  cause, 
tried  every  means  to  induce  to  abate  something 
of  that  rigour,  which  it  was  not  possible  for  a 
little  child  of  only  four  years  to  withstand,  who 
required  food  to  subsist  and  grow.     But  they 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  25 


tried  in  vain:  for  even  the  little  presents  of 
fruits  and  sweet  meats,  wliich  are  so  much  cov- 
eted at  that  age,  although  Mary  Ann  received 
them  with  seeming  gladness,  nevertheless  they 
were  hardly  received  before  she  gave  them  to 
an  Indian  servant  without  once  tasting  them. 

Among  the  other  virtues  that  shone  forth  in  Ma- 
ry Ann  still  quite  young  was  a  great  love  towards 
the  poor.  Being  informed  one  day  that  several 
poor  persons  were  standing  at  the  door  expect- 
ing to  get  some  alms,  she  quickly  ran  to  her 
mother  to  get  something  with  which  to  relieve 
them.  The  good  lady  told  her  that  their  supply 
of  bread  had  not  yet  been  brought  to  the  house 
and  that  she  had  nothing  that  morning  to  give 
to  the  poor :  that  there  was  only  one  cake  in 
the  pantry,  which  she  had  to  keep  for  her  aged 
father,  who  would  soon  be  there.  The  little 
child  remained  disconsalato,  and  her  heart  not 
suffering  her  to  dismiss  these  poor  creatures 
without  some  relief,  moved  by  compassion  and 
pity  she  began  to  weep.  Her  mother  softened 
at  the  sight  called  her  to  her,  and  breaking  the 
cake  into  pieces,  gave  it  to  her  to  distribute 
them  with  her  own  hands  to  the  poor.  She  did 
it  with  a  good  grace  and  evident  signs  of  joy: 


26  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


then  returning  to  her  mother  she  told  her  not  to 
be  uneasy,  because  God  would  without  fail,  pro- 
vide bread  for  her  aged  parent.  And  in  fact, 
she  had  hardly  uttered  the  words,  before  an  In- 
dian servant  with  a  little  boy,  whom  they  had 
never  seen,  presented  themselves  at  the  door  of 
the  house,  and  in  the  name  of  a  certain  person, 
who  was  also  unknown,  brought  as  a  present 
two  baskets  of  the  whitest  bread.  With  all 
their  industry  they  could  never  discover  whence 
they  came,  or  by  whom  they  had  been  sent. 
Only  the  little  Mary  Ann  with  childlike  simpli- 
city, and  full  of  joy  said — See,  mamma  dear, 
how  God  has  quickly  sent  a  great  supply  of 
bread  for  the  cake  given  to  the  poor.  Her  re- 
lations were  astonished  at  such  sense  in  a  little 
child,  that  had  scarcely  begun  to  walk  and 
speak ;  and  they  gave  a  thousand  thanks  to  the 
Lord,  who  was  pleased  to  remunerate  an  alms 
with  so  agreeable  a  prodigy. 

In  this  manner  she  went  on  increasing,  be- 
loved of  God  and  man,  when  all  on  a  sudden 
she  lost  her  mother,  who  not  long  after  her  re- 
turn from  the  villa  to  the  city  was  called  by 
God  to  enjoy  in  heaven,  the  reward  of  those 
christian  virtues,  which  had  rendered  her  an  ob- 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  27 


ject  of  admiration  to  the  noble  ladies  of  Quito. 
Mary  Ann  was  very  much  grieved,  having  lost 
in  her  not  only  a  wise  and  kind  mother,  but 
also  an  example  of  perfection  and  sanctity.  But 
God  soon  consoled  her  by  giving  her  in  charge 
to  her  eldest  sister  D.  Girolama,  who  more  than 
any  other  inherited  many  of  the  qualities  and 
the  virtues  of  their  mother. 


CHAPTER  II. 

HER  FIRST  FERVOUR  IN  DEVOTION  AND  PIETY. 
SHE  IS  MIRACULOUSLY  PRESERVED  FROM  MANY 
DANGERS  WHICH  THREATENED  HER  LIFE.  MOST 
EXTRAORDINARY  ARTIFICES  TO  AFFLICT  AND 
TORTURE  HER  INNOCENT  BODY. 

The  jilessed  Mary  Ann  was  in  her  fifth  year, 
when  having  lost  her  father  and  mother,  she 
went  to  live  at  the  house  of  her  sister  D.  Giro- 
lama, who  was  married  to  captain  D.  Cosimo  di 
Casso.  This  sister  had  three  little  daughters 
Maria,  Giovanna,  and  Sebastiana,  with  whom 
she  associated  her  little  sister  to  be  brought  up 


28  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


She  provided  them  with  excellent  masters  and 
mistresses,  who  instructed  them  in  those  arts  and 
accomplishments,  which  were  beiitting  their  noble 
condition.  Mary  Ann  was  so  assiduous  and  dil- 
igent, that  leaving  her  nieces  far  behind,  in  a  short 
time  she  learnt  to  read,  write,  to  play  on  differ- 
ent instruments,  and  to  sing  with  considerable 
grace  and  elegance.  True  it  is,  that  her  songs 
were  always  sacred  and  devout  airs,  and  she 
drew  from  them  not  only  pleasure  and  delight, 
but  such  advantage  to  her  soul,  that  even  in  her 
more  mature  years,  and  when  she  was  leading  a 
life  entirely  separated  from  the  world,  she  was 
wont,  not  unfrequently,  to  raise  her  mind  to  God 
by  means  of  song.  And  two  witnesses  among 
the  others,  declared  upon  oath  in  the  juridical 
process,  that  Mary  Ann  at  different  times  was 
audibly  accompanied  in  her  songs  by  the  angels, 
and  that  different  little  birds  flying  above  her 
window  assisted  her  with  their  sweet  warbling, 
to  praise  their  common  Creator. 

She  spent  all  the  time,  which  was  not  em- 
ployed in  these  innocent  occupations  in  exer- 
cises of  piety :  retiring  to  places  set  apart  for 
prayer,  reading  good  books  and  the  Lives  of 
Saints,  and  in  vocal  prayers.    She  erected  a  lit- 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  29 


tie  altar  in  her  chaniljcr  and  upon  it  placed  a 
little  statue  in  bass-relief  of  the  most  Blessed 
Virgin  and  another  likewise  of  the  Infant  Je- 
sus. Here  she  passed  many  hours,  citlier  in 
adorning  the  two  images,  or  in  praying  before 
them ;  to  which  moreover  she  presented  what- 
ever little  dainty  was  given  her  as  a  present  to 
cat,  mortifying  in  this  manner  her  appetite  to 
do  honour  to  Jesus  and  Mary.  She,  although 
she  was  younger  than  her  three  nieces,  still  by 
her  wisdom  and  maturity  beyond  her  age,  had 
acquired  such  authority  and  reverence,  tliat 
they  all  regarded  her  as  their  guide  and  mis- 
tress. Of  this  she  availed  herself  to  arouse 
within  them  the  same  devotion  that  burnt  in 
herself.  She  would  gather  together  the  little 
girls  of  the  neighbourhood  who  were  as  innocent 
as  herself,  and  in  company  with  her  three  nieces 
station  them  before  the  little  altar,  and  in  two 
choirs  make  them  recite  the  rosary  and  sing  the 
litanies.  She  then  celebrated  all  the  Sundays 
with  greater  pomp  and  show,  and  especially  the 
festivals  of  our  Lord  and  the  Queen  of  heaven. 
On  the  preceding  vigil  she  prepared  her  com- 
panions, then  all  the  next  day  she  occupied 
them  in  devout  prayers,  and  a  little  before  it 

3* 


30  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


grew  dark  she  closed  the  festival  with  a  proces- 
sion, singing  pious  hymns  whilst  they  carried 
by  turn  the  two  images  of  the  divine  Infant 
and  his  Blessed  Mother. 

God  was  pleased  to  manifest  by  a  wonderful 
prodigy  how  pleasing  to  him  were  these  pious 
diversions  of  the  little  children.  On  a  certain 
festival  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  Mary  Ann  had 
invited  all  the  ladies  belonging  to  the  house  of 
Paredes,  and  other  distinguished  ones  of  the 
city,  who  came  very  willingly,  attracted  by  the 
piety  of  these  little  innocent  creatures.  Now 
whilst  she  was,  according  to  custom,  arranging 
the  procession,  it  happened  that  a  candle  bending 
set  fire  to  a  very  fine  rose-coloured  veil,  with 
which  Mary  Ann  had  dressed  the  statue.  As 
soon  as  the  flames  broke  forth,  all  the  ladies 
who  were  present  uttered  a  piercing  cry :  and 
Mary  Ann  being  made  aware  of  the  accident, 
immediately  ran  thither,  and  with  an  intrepidity 
more  than  childish,  extended  her  hands  to  the 
burning  veil,  and  raising  it  quietly  from  the 
statue,  stretched  it  out  to  see  where  it  was 
burnt.  But  to  the  great  surprise  of  all  it  was 
found  perfectly  whole  and  without  the  smallest 
injury. 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  31 

Another  time,  after  huviiig  fatigued  herself 
the  whole  day  with  her  pious  occupations,  the 
little  girl  being  overcome  by  drowsiness,  gently 
fell  asleep.  After  a  short  time  she  awoke,  fixed 
her  eyes  aloft,  and  as  if  surprised  between  won- 
der and  joy,  quickly  called  to  her  companions 
to  run  and  see  the  three  bright  stars,  which  she 
saw  glittering  over  her  head :  be  quick  said 
she,  and  awake ;  because  it  is  not  right  that  you 
should  be  sleeping,  whilst  my  spouse  keeps 
watch  to  do  me  favours.  Ilor  companions  came 
immediately,  and  placed  themselves  at  her  side, 
but  they  saw  nothing.  Mary  Ann  insisted  that 
they  should  look  with  more  attention;  and  they 
were  grieved  that  it  was  not  permitted  them  to 
enjoy  that  pleasing  sight.  They  were  however 
at  that  moment  seized  by  a  pleasing  sense  of 
devotion,  which  filled  their  souls  with  delight. 
They  afterwards  asked  Mary  Ann,  what  was  the 
meaning  of  the  appearance  of  these  three  stars. 
To  whom  with  ingenuous  candour  she  briefly  re- 
plied ;  I  think  notwithstanding  my  misery  the 
most  august  Trinity  has  chosen  me  to  be  his 
temple. 

This  event  being  divulged  abroad,  many  took 
occasion  from  it  to  call  Mary  Ann  the  child  of 


32  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


the  star :  and  tliey  became  more  and  more 
grounded  in  the  opinion  already  conceived,  that 
she  -was  destined  to  great  things  for  the  honour 
of  God.  In  this  opinion  they  were  not  a  little 
confirmed  afterward,  seeing  the  singular  protec- 
tion of  heaven,  by  which  she  twice  escaped  by 
miracle  from  evident  danger  of  death.  The  lit- 
tle girls  had  one  day  ascended  to  the  top-story 
of  the  house,  in  which  D.  Cosimo  had  caused  a 
new  floor  to  be  laid.  Whilst  they  were  amusing 
themselves  running  along  the  scaffolding,  Mary 
Ann  was  either  thoughtlessly  pushed  by  her 
companions,  or  approaching  too  near  the  edge 
and  missing  her  step,  was  precipitated  from  the 
highest  part  of  the  building  and  fell  upon  a 
heap  of  rubbish  and  stones,  which  were  piled 
up  against  the  wall.  At  the  heart-rending 
shriek  of  the  little  girls  D.  Cosimo  went  imme- 
diately around,  and  learning  the  accident,  hur- 
ried down  into  the  street,  expecting  for  certain 
to  find  his  little  relative  not  only  dead,  but 
crushed  and  mashed.  But  he  had  hardly 
reached  the  door,  when  whom  should  he  see  ap- 
proaching him  but  Mary  Ann,  full  of  joy  and 
smiling,  and  without,  any  hurt  at  all.  He  was 
perfectly  astonished ;  and  could  attribute  the 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  33 


fact  to  nothing  else  than  to  the  protection  of 
the  angels,  who  had  supported  the  saint  in  her 
perilous  fall. 

From  another  imminent  risk  she  was  timely 
preserved  ])y  an  interior  liglit  infused  into  her 
mind  hy  Almighty  God.  The  servant  of  God 
having  noticed,  that  in  the  public  processions 
that  were  accustomed  to  be  made  in  Holy  "Week, 
there  were  several  persons,  who  in  the  garb  of 
penance  carried  heavy  crosses  upon  their  shoul- 
ders, was  inflamed  with  the  desire  of  imitating 
them  ;  for  this  purpose  she  called  her  nieces  to 
her  and  earnestly  exhorted  them  to  endeavor 
to  procure  also  three  instruments  of  penance 
and  adopt  them  in  their  domestic  procession. 
And  as  a  word  from  her  was  sufficient,  they  im- 
mediately agreed  to  the  proposal.  But  they 
had  no  crosses ;  and  Mary  Ann  undertook  the 
task  of  providing  them.  She  collected  as  many 
pieces  of  wood  as  were  necessary,  and  not  to  be 
disturbed  by  any  one,  led  her  companions  into  a 
court-yard  at  some  distance  from  the  house  to 
construct  the  crosses.  And  they  were  all  busily 
engaged  in  this  pious  work,  when  the  Blessed 
servant  of  God  suddenly  rose  from  her  work, 
and  in  a  great  hurry  called  lier  nieces  to  follow 


34  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


her.  And  because  they  were  slow  in  moving, 
she  ran  to  where  they  were,  and  taking  them  by 
the  hand  anxiously  led  them  to  the  other  side 
of  the  yard.  Then,  all  being  now  safe,  a  high 
wall  fell  with  a  terrible  crash  upon  the  very 
spot  where  the  children  had  been  at  work,  and 
which  would  without  doubt  have  crushed  them, 
had  they  not  been  timely  removed.  Mary  Ann 
herself,  although  then  quite  young,  at  the  very 
thought  of  the  great  risk  she  had  run  with  her 
companions,  burst  into  a  flood  of  tender  tears 
and  gave  most  humble  thanks  to  God,  offering 
him  in  all  sincerity  and  affection  her  own  life 
in  exchange,  which  he  had  already  three  times 
given  her,  by  preserving  it  by  miracle  from 
death. 

And  in  fact,  from  that  time  forward  that  she 
regarded  herself  in  no  other  light  than  as  a  vic- 
tim offered  to  Jesus,  I  can  give  no  better  proof, 
than  by  relating  the  excessively  sharp  and  ex- 
traordinary penances,  which  she  began  to  prac- 
tice even  at  the  tender  age  of  six  to  seven,  and 
which  she  afterwards  increased  without  meas- 
ure, as  we  shall  see  in  the  course  of  tliis  history. 
She  felt  herself  all  inflamed  with  divine  love, 
and  sensibly  excited  to  maltreat  her  innocent 


MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS.  35 


body  to  resemble  more  closely  her  afflicted 
spouse  Jesus,  as  she  was  always  accustomed  to 
call  him.  Happening  to  be  present  one  day  in 
the  church  at  a  funeral  oration,  which  was  pro- 
nounced in  praise  of  a  Religious,  who  had  died 
in  the  odour  of  sanctity,  a  lady  and  relative  of 
Mary  Ann,  having  heard  the  wonderful  auster- 
ity practiced  during  the  life  of  the  deceased,  O 
who  could,  she  exclaimed,  imitate  this  servant 
of  God  !  To  whom  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  who 
sat  at  her  side,  with  a  gravity  beyond  her  years, 
replied — with  God's  help  love  can  do  all.  Thus, 
without  being  aware  of  it,  she  assigned  the 
cause,  from  which  she  drew  all  lier  force  and 
strength  to  go  forward  in  her  austere  life.  Be- 
sides, it  is  necessary  here  first  of  all  to  inform 
the  reader,  that  God,  always  admirable  in  his 
saints,  was  pleased  to  guide  this  his  beloved 
servant  by  ways  quite  extraordinary  and  out  of 
the  usual  course  ;  and  hence  he  would  be  very 
much  mistaken,  who  would  wish  to  regard  them 
with  a  human  eye  and  judge  them  only  by  the 
rules  of  human  prudence.  The  life  of  this 
blessed  servant  of  God  was  one  continued  pro- 
digy of  divine  grace;  a  very  rare  one,  and, 
when  we  take  into  consideration  all  the  circum- 


36  MARY   ANN  OF  JESUS. 


stances  of  age,  condition,  sex,  perhaps  the  onlj 
one  of  its  kind  to  be  found  in  the  annals  of  the 
church.  This  being  promised,  let  us  come  to 
the  recital  of  facts. 

Mary  Ann  had  fastened  around  their  rooms 
fourteen  crosses,  before  which  she  and  her 
nieces  were  accustomed  every  Friday  to  per- 
form the  Stations  of  the  cross.  She  marched 
before  carrying  upon  her  shoulders  a  heavy 
cross  of  wood,  and  with  the  soles  of  her  shoes 
lined  with  hard  peas.  Every  one  can  easily 
imagine  how  painful  this  journey,  which  was  by 
no  means  short,  must  have  been  to  a  little  child, 
and  which  she  performed  with  great  slowness, 
passing  from  one  room  to  another,  and  stopping 
at  ever}^  station.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  not  un- 
frequently  it  happened,  that  tormented  by  the 
pain  of  her  feet  and  oppressed  by  the  weight 
of  the  cross  she  would  fall  helpless  to  the 
ground  with  evident  danger  of  being  seriously 
hurt  or  injured.  At  other  times  she  would 
cause  the  cross  to  be  brought  to  her  by  Iier 
companions,  and  in  receiving  it  from  their  hands, 
salute  it  with  the  most  tender  expressions  of  af- 
fection, and  then  dragging  herself  along  on  her 
bare  knees  with  that  weight    upon  her  shoul- 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  3T 


ders,  visit  one  by  one  the  stations  of  the  via 
cruets.  Wc  know  that  tlie  skin  of  her  knees 
was  lorn  and  that  slic  left  bcliind  licr,  wlicre- 
ever  she  passed,  large  marks  of  fresh  blood. 
Neither  did  her  sufferings  terminate  with  the 
close  of  this  martyrdom :  for  the  wouii(is>ift'1it!l''^^'s:^=*5^^ 
tender  flesh  being  irritated  by  a|.^D^j^Boa-i>i^K/^/.'. 
such  ill  treatment,  she  continiiec' 
to  feel  the  most  acute  pain. 

Nor  with  all  this  was  she  yet ; 
contrary  the  ardent  desire,  whicl 
suffering  for  her  spouse,  sharpened  her  wit  to 
discover  new  methods  of  tormenting  herself 
And  she  invented  one  among  the  others  as  dan- 
gerous in  its  execution  as  it  was  painful  to  her. 
and  tlicrcfore  more  in  accordance  with  her  taste. 
On  Holy-Thursday  she  had  scattered  at  the  foot 
of  the  altars  of  the  via  crwm  various  little  bun- 
dles of  sharp  thorns,  which  she  had  provided 
for  this  purpose.  After  this  commencing  ac- 
cording to  custom  to  make  the  stations,  when 
she  arrived  at  each  one  of  them,  she  deposited 
upon  the  ground  and  in  the  midst  of  the  thorns 
her  cross,  and  after  saying  some  prayers,  begged 
her  companions,  that  when  she  would  bend 
down  to  kiss  the  sacred  wood,  they  would  give 

4 


38  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


her  a  violent  push  upon  tlie  head.  And  the  re- 
quest was  made  by  her  with  such  affection  and 
in  so  courteous  a  manner,  that  the  little  girls 
without  further  consideration  acquiesced  by 
pushing  her  head  violently  upon  tlie  thorns. 
The  stations  being  gone  through  together  with 
their  reiterated  sufferings  that  accompanied 
them,  the  Blessed  child  got  up  with  her  face 
horribly  pierced  and  covered  with  blood,  but 
full  of  fervour  and  inexpressible  joy.  God  so 
disposed  that  neither  her  sister  nor  her  brother- 
in-law  were  ever  aware  of  this  cruel  infliction, 
to  which  they  would  without  doubt  have  put  a 
stop ;  as  also  that  none  of  the  thorns  should 
ever  once  strike  Mary  Ann's  eyes,  which  might 
easily  have  happened. 

Whatever  work  of  penance  she  saw  prac- 
ticed by  others,  she  made  use  of  every  means 
not  only  to  imitate  it  in  herself,  but  to  surpass 
it,  by  adding  other  austerities  to  it  of  her  own 
invention.  One  year  whilst  assisting  at  Holy 
Week,  she  was  wonderfully  taken  with  the  dis- 
cipline, and  the  adoration  of  the  cross,  which 
she  saw  some  devout  christians  practising. 
Wherefore  when  she  had  returned  home,  she 
immediately  set   about  making  several  disci- 


JURY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  39 


pliiics,  wliich  she  afterwards  distributed  to  her 
little  friends,  animating  them  by  her  example 
and  inflamed  words  to  scourge  themselves  ibr 
the  love  of  Jesus,  who  had  endured  and  suf- 
fered so  much  for  their  salvation.  But  as  for 
the  adoration  of  tlie  cross,  she  wished  that  hor- 
rible torment,  which  we  have  described  above, 
to  be  reserved  entirely  for  herself.  She  encir- 
cled the  cross  which  was  to  be  adored  and 
which  was  extended  upon  the  ground,  with  many 
and  sharp  thorns:  and  when  she  bent  down  with 
her  hands  behind  her  upon  her  shoulders,  in  or- 
der to  kiss  it,  her  companions  had,  one  at  a 
time,  to  give  her  a  good  thrust :  so  that  falling 
heavily  upon  the  thorns,  she  rose  with  her  face 
all  pricked  and  pierced  in  a  dreadful  manner. 
But  this  time  her  relatives  perceived  the 
wounds,  and  discovering  from  the  innocent  chil- 
drcn  the  cause,  they  forbad  Mary  Ann  that  dan- 
gerous and  indiscreet  penance :  and  she  w^ho 
would  rather  have  died  than  commit  the  slight- 
est act  of  disobedience  against  the  command  of 
her  superiors  instantly  obeyed. 

In  order  to  disturb  the  little  sleep,  which  she 
took  at  night,  she  devised  a  species  of  penance, 
which  only  her  great  desire  of  suffering  could 


40  MARY    ANN    OF   JESUS. 


have  suggested  to  her  mind.  She  provided  lier- 
self  with  five  stones  of  moderate  size,  and  hav- 
ing excavated  in  the  pavement  at  the  foot  of 
her  little  altar,  a  cross,  she  placed  in  its  cavity 
these  stones,  but  so  arranged,  that  the  unequal 
parts  of  the  stones  might  project  above  the  sur- 
face of  the  pavement.  Here  and  there  around 
the  cross  she  strewed  a  quantity  of  nettles  and 
other  pungent  herbs.  Her  bed  being  prepared 
in  this  manner,  every  Friday  night,  after  hav- 
ing first  entreated  her  associates  that  they 
would  recommend  her  to  her  divine  spouse,  she 
lay  down  to  sleep,  extending  her  arms  upon  the 
ci"oss,  with  a  piece  of  wood  for  a  pillow  under 
her  head.  The  blessed  little  child  continued, 
as  long  as  she  could,  motionless  upon  this  hor- 
rible bed  of  torture :  but  if  sometimes,  either 
overcome  by  sleep  or  pain,  she  allowed  her  body 
to  roll  off  the  stones,  on  whatever  side  she 
turned,  falling  with  the  whole  weight  of  her 
body  upon  these  thorny  herbs,  she  revenged 
herself,  as  she  was  wont  to  say  for  insufferable 
delicacy.  Her  companions  who  were  alone 
privy  to  this  painful  martyrdom,  testified  in  the 
process,  that  it  was  generally  necessary  for 
them  in  the  morning  to  lift  her  from  off  her  bed ; 


MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS.  41 


but  in  proportion  as  she  was  exhausted  in  body 
the  vigour  of  her  mind  increased. 

She  would  have  done  much  more  to  satisfy 
her  insatiable  love  of  penance,  if  she  had  not 
been  constrained  to  be  continually  with  her 
nieces,,  and  have  them  witnesses  of  her  actions. 
Nevertheless  she  laboured  with  so  mucli  art  and 
industry,  that  in  the  end  she  succeeded  in  using 
these  very  cliildren  as  instruments  to  torment 
her  body,  and  not  to  be  conscious  of  it.  As  if 
a  vain  spirit  of  bravado  actuated  her,  she  be- 
gan to  say,  that  she,  although  she  was  the 
youngest  of  them,  had  such  force  of  mind  as  to 
be  able  to  sustain  without  flinching  the  onset  of 
the  whole  of  them  :  and  then  challenge  them  to 
come  to  the  proof  and  try,  if  they  could  by 
striking  her  draw  from  her  lips  a  sign  or  any 
expression  of  pain.  Tlie  little  children  being 
provoked  in  this  manner,  as  was  but  natural, 
made  a  simultaneous  charge  on  the  back  of  Mary 
Ann  and  with  all  the  force  of  their  arms  struck 
her  on  all  sides  without  measure  or  discretion. 
And  because  she  made  as  it  were  fun  of  their 
weakness  in  order  to  excite  them  rather  than 
show  any  feeling,  they  became  more  than  ever 
vexed  at  their  inability  to  elicit  a  word  of  com- 

4* 


42  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


plaint,  picked  up  the  five  stones,  which  she  kept 
as  we  said,  in  the  cavity  of  the  cross,  and  with 
them  unmercifully  pounded  her  all  over  her  bo- 
dy. This  which  was  diversion  for  the  girls, 
but  a  terrible  torture  to  Mary  Ann  lasted  many 
weeks  and  she  would  wished  to  have  it  repeated 
every  j\Ionday  and  Wednesday  :  but  at  last  her 
companions,  although  simple  and  innocent,  dis- 
covered by  the  livid  spots  and  wounds  the  out- 
rage they  had  committed  on  their  holy  mistress, 
and  refused  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  a  work 
that  could  not  but  be  extremely  painful  to  her. 
It  was  when  she  was  shut  up  in  her  room  at 
night,  that  she  gave  full  scope  to  her  fervour. 
At  that  time'  not  being  observed  by  any  one, 
she  cruelly  scourged  herself  two  or  three  dif- 
ferent times,  either  with  whips,  or  nettles  and 
other  sharp-pointed  thistles,  which  she  secretly 
collected  in  the  domestic  garden.  An  Indian 
servant  found  her  by  accident  thus  engaged,  and 
being  greatly  surprised  to  see  a  little  girl  of  not 
more  than  six  years  of  age,  with  a  bundle  of 
nettles  in  her  hand,  striking  herself  upon  her 
naked  shoulders,  from  which  blood  was  pro- 
fusely flowing,  asked  her  in  all  simplicity,  if 
that  cruel  flagellation  did  not  cause  her  pain  ? 


MARY    AX.\    OF   JESUS.  43 


Yes,  replied  Mary  Ann,  I  sensibly  feel  the 
weight  of  these  blows  :  hut  I  do  so  to  satisfy 
for  my  sins.  And  I  beg  you  for  the  love  of 
God  not  to  say  a  word  about  it  to  my  relativcn, 
but  keep  it  secret. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  SOLITARY  AND  PENITENTIAL  LIFE  WHICH  SHE 
LED  IN  THE  VILLA  AND  IN  THE  CITY  J  ATTEMPTS 
TWICE  TO  FLY  FROM  HOME  TO  GO  AND  CONVERT 
THE  INFIDELS,  AND  TO  LIVE  IN  SOLITUDE,  AND 
IS  PREVENTED  BY  ALMIGHTY  GOD  IN  WONDEREUL 
WAYS. 

But  although  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  neglected 
no  means  to  conceal  those  great  and  extraordi- 
nary acts  of  austerity  and  mortification  whicl 
we  have  just  related,  still  the  paleness  of  h'^-r 
face,  the  extenuation  of  her  body,  and  the  al 
most  total  prostration  of  her  strength  were  ef- 
fects too  plain  and  evident,  and  calculated  of 
themselves  to  lead  every  one  to  the  knowledg' 


-t4  MARY    ANN    OF   JESUS. 


of  the  cause.  Wherefore  D.  Girolama  becoming 
alarmed  about  the  health  of  her  little  sister  de- 
termined to  remove  her  for  a  short  time  from 
the  daily  solitude  of  the  house  and  bring  her 
with  the  family  to  one  of  her  villas  about  five 
leagues  distant,  where  she  hoped,  that  the 
change  of  scenery  and  the  pleasures  of  the  coun- 
try would  induce  her  to  relax  a  little  her  way 
of  life.  As  soon  therefore  as  the  weather  per- 
mitted, they  quitted  Quito  and  came  toSaguauce, 
which  was  the  name  of  the  villa. 

But  wherever  she  went,  Mary  Ann  always 
carried  along  that  ardent  spirit  of  fervour  by 
which  God  interiourlv  governed  her.  As  soon 
as  she  was  arrived  at  the  villa,  whilst  the  do- 
mestics were  all  busy  in  putting  the  house  in 
order,  and  her  three  nieces  amusing  themselves 
by  running  about  every  where,  as  children  are 
wont  to  do,  Mary  Ann  seeing  the  time  favoura- 
ble left  the  house  and  under  pretence  of  diver- 
ting herself  for  a  little  while  in  the  open  air, 
iinobserved  by  any  one,  entered  and  hid  herself 
in  a  neighbouring  forest.  D.  Girolama  very 
soon  perceived  the  absence  of  her  sister,  and 
Ijeing  in  some  fear,  gave  immediate  orders  to 
the  servants  and  her  maids  to  go  every  where 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  45 


in  search  of  licr.  And  it  pleased  God  that  one 
Df  the  domestics  should  penetrate  into  tlic 
thicket,  and  in  his  search  amongst  the  thick 
branches  of  the  trees,  discover  the  little  child 
{it  a  distance.  She  was  kneeling  at  the  foot  of 
an  old  and  withered  trunk,  which  she  had  pic- 
tured to  herself  as  the  column,  at  which  her 
?pouse  Jesus  had  been  bound,  and  scourging 
herself  upon  her  naked  shoulders  with  a  hand- 
ful of  thorny  thistles.  The  flesh  was  already 
cut  and  bruised  and  the  blood  was  falling  in 
drops  upon  the  ground.  The  good  servant  as- 
tonished and  horrified  at  what  he  saw,  stood  for 
some  time  motionless,  looking  at  the  aflfecting 
spectacle :  then,  without  breathing,  turned 
round  and  ran  to  inform  D.  Girolama,  who  hur- 
ried to  the  spot  with  her  daughters.  It  can 
scarcely  be  believed  how  displeased  the  servant 
of  God  was  at  being  surprised  in  this  act.  She 
bluslied  deeply,  and  covering  herself  immedi- 
ately stood  up,  and  as  if  nothing  at  all  Avas  the 
matter,  with  a  joyful  face  and  beaming  with 
love  joined  her  nieces  and  returned  to  the 
house. 

But  she  could  never  afterwards  forget  this 
solitude.     We  must  sav,  that  Qod  communica- 


46  ilAHY   ANN    OF    JESUS. 


ted  himself  to  her  in  an  intimate  manner,  infu- 
sing into  her  mind  the  sweetest  heavenly  conso- 
lations. Wherefore,  by  divine  disposition  not 
having  been  prohibited  by  her  sister,  every  time 
the  blessed  child  would  secretly  withdraw  from 
the  house,  she  quickly  flew  to  her  favorite  for- 
est :  and  there  she  remained  long  hours  pouring 
forth  her  heart  in  fervent  colloquies  with  her 
Beloved.  She  rejoiced  exceedingly  that  she  was 
here  observed  by  no  one  and  could  to  her  heart's 
content  satisfy  her  ardent  love  of  mortification. 
Three  several  times  she  was  surprised,  whilst 
scourging  herself  to  blood.  Nay  more,  the  do- 
mestics whenever  they  missed  her  from  the  house 
always  went  to  the  woods,  where  they  were  cer- 
tain of  finding  her. 

Once  she  returned  about  dusk  to  her  beloved 
retreat,  but  with  her  strength  so  completely 
exhausted,  that  being  overcome  by  weariness 
and  drowsiness  she  gently  fell  asleep  in  the 
arms  of  her  sister  D.  Girolama.  Tliis  sister, 
who  tenderly  loved  her,  held  her  quietly  upon 
her  bosom,  and  wishing  to  put  her  to  bed  to  re- 
pose with  greater  comfort,  began  very  carefully 
to  undress  her:  and  taking  off  her  upper  gar- 
ments saw  that  her  under  dress  was  all  bathed 


MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS.  47 


in  blood.  D.  Girolaina  was  frightened  at  the 
sight,  and  cautiously  investigating  the  cause, 
found  tliat  licr  little  sister  liad  her  sides  all 
torn  by  a  plant  that  was  very  thoi-ny,  which 
was  still  bound  tightly  around  lier.  The  good 
lady  could  not  contain  herself  at  the  sight  and 
melting  into  tears  raised  her  eyes  and  hands  to 
heaven,  humbling  herself  before  God,  who 
placed  under  her  eyes  an  example  of  such  aus- 
terity in  that  little  innocent  soul.  Then  moved 
to  pity  for  Mary  Ann,  she  tried  to  free  her  body 
from  that  unusual  instrument  of  torture.  But 
notwithstanding  all  the  care  she  took  to  per- 
foi-m  it  in  the  most  delicate  manner  possible, 
the  little  child  perceived  her,  and  between  sleep 
and  awake,  with  an  unconscious  motion  immedi- 
ately placed  her  hands  upon  the  thorny  band- 
age and  exclaimed — "  Ah  they  are  taking  from 
me  my  dearest  delight."  A  little  after,  becom- 
ing perfectly  conscious,  when  she  first  discov- 
ered herself  in  the  arms  of  her  sister  her  face 
reddened  with  blushes,  and  without  uttering  a 
word  she  quietly  withdrew,  leaving  the  other,  I 
know  not,  whether  more  surprised  or  grieved. 
Such  were  the  amusements  and  the  childish 
pastimes,  which  she  enjoyed  at  the  villa.     Cer- 


48  MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS. 


tain  it  is,  that  being  about  to  return  in  a  short 
time  to  the  city,  nothing  grieved  her  more  than 
the  thought  of  abandoning  her  favorite  retreat 
in  the  woods,  where  God  had  imparted  to  her  a 
taste  of  the  delights  of  Paradise,  by  closely 
uniting  her  to  himself  by  love.  Notwithstand- 
ing this,  she  knew  how  to  find  her  solitude 
Avithin  the  domestic  walls.  For  the  purpose  of 
distracting  her  a  little  from  that  continual  ap- 
plication of  mind,  D.  Girolama  had  ordered  her 
every  day,  at  an  appointed  hour,  to  conduct  her 
three  nieces,  her  sister  D.  Agnese  de  Paredes, 
and  D.  Scolastica  Sarmiento,  who  were  all 
brought  up  together,  into  the  garden  attached 
to  the  house  and  try  and  procure  them  some  in- 
nocent diversion.  Mary  Ann  promptly  obeyed  : 
and  at  the  appointed  hour  never  failed  to  call  her 
companions  and  with  the  greatest  pleasure  lead 
them  with  her  into  the  garden.  Arrived  there, 
after  she  had  engaged  them  in  some  of  their 
merry  efiForts,  she  would  gradually  withdraw, 
and  go  in  search  of  some  remote  and  hidden 
corner,  where,  taking  occasion  from  the  variety 
of  plants  and  flowers,  and  singing  of  little 
birds,  she  raised  her  soul  to  the  contemplation 
of  heavenly  things,  and  to  the  love  of  her  di- 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  49 


vino  spouse.  Slic  was  seen  walking  along  as 
one  wrapt  in  ecstacy,  with  her  face  inflamed, 
her  eyes  swimming  in  tears  and  wholly  absorpt 
in  God.  At  other  times  unable  to  master  the 
interior  fire  which  was  consuming  her,  she  was 
heard  to  give  vent  to  it  in  inflamed  sighs  and 
in  short  but  ardent  aspirations  of  affection.  D. 
Scolastica  Sarmiento,  and  D.  Maria  di  Casso, 
eye-witnesses  deposed  in  the  juridical  process, 
that  sometimes  in  order  to  temper  this  interior 
heat,  she  would  open  her  dress,  and  try  to  cool 
her  breast  by  exposing  it  to  the  open  air,  and 
at  other  times  taking  a  bundle  of  nettles  in  her 
hand  and  striking  herself  with  them,  exclaim 
in  tender  accents  :  Ah  the  right  side  of  my  lov- 
ing spouse  !  Ah  the  pierced  side  of  my  cruciflcd 
Jesus !  In  consequence  of  the  stings  which 
these  nettles  left,  her  breast  was  swollen  and 
'disfigured :  and  she  immersed  in  an  ocean  of 
sweetness,  as  it  were  out  of  her  senses,  did  not 
perceive  that  she  was  attentively  observed  by 
her  companions. 

In  proportion  as  her  love  towards  God  went 
on  increasing,  her  desire  that  all  men  should 
know  and  love  him  also  increased.  Not  satis- 
fied with  using  all  the  means  in  her  power  to 


50  MAEY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


direct  in  the  right  patli  her  sisters,  nieces,  and 
friends,  Avith  whom  she  conversed,  she  began  to 
aspire  after  more  magnanimous  undertakings. 
Being  often  brought  to  the  church  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus,  she  had  frequently  heard  them  speak 
in  tlie  sermons  of  the  Missions  of  Japan,  of 
the  Morea,  of  China,  and  of  other  parts  of  the 
East  Indies.  Every  day  she  received  informa- 
tion at  Quito  of  the  vast  provinces  of  Marag- 
none,  los  Magnas,  where  a  countless  number  of 
infidels  were  eternally  lost  without  resource,  the 
few  missionaries  of  the  Society  who  laboui^ed 
there  indefatigably,  not  being  sufficient  to  supply 
the  wants.  It  seemed  therefore  to  Mary  Ann  that 
it  would  be  her  fault  if  so  many  people  re- 
mained in  the  darkness  of  heathenism,  nor  did 
she  believe  that  the  weakness  of  her  sex  and 
the  tender  age  of  only  seven  or  eight  years 
would  be  a  sufficient  excuse  to  justify  her  be- 
fore God.  It  happened  also,  that  at  this  time 
they  were  celebrating  in  the  church  of  the  So- 
ciety the  solemn  festival  of  the  three  holy  Je- 
suits and  Japanese  Martyrs,  Paul  Miki,  John  de 
Goto,  and  James  Kisai,  lately  raised  to  the  ho- 
nours of  the  altar.  Mary  Ann,  when  she  heard 
in  the  panegerics  the    great   sufferings  which 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  61 


they  endured  for  tlic  propogation  and  defence 
of  the  lioly  faith,  felt  her  zeal  rekindled,  and 
the  most  lively  desire  took  possession  of  her 
heart  to  give  in  imitation  of  them  her  blood  and 
life  for  the  love  of  Clirist.  Not  being  able  any 
longer  to  master  these  interior  emotions,  she  de- 
termined to  put  them  into  immediate  execution. 
Wherefore  calling  aside  her  three  nieces  D.  Gio- 
vanna,  D.  Sebastianadi  Casso  and  D.  Scolastica, 
she  disclosed  to  them  in  secret  her  intentions. 
She  told  them  that  her  heart  was  lively  pierced 
with  grief  at  the  sight  of  so  many  souls,  who 
in  the  country  of  the  infidels,  were  travelling 
the  way  of  death,  from  the  want  of  persons  to 
point  out  to  them  the  road  to  heaven.  That 
she  felt  herself  inspired  to  overcome  all  human 
respect  and  go  to  the  provinces  of  Maragnone, 
where  she  hoped  to  rescue,  with  God's  help,  some 
infidel  from  perdition  and  bring  him  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  true  God.  That  she  would 
consider  herself  happy,  if  in  reward  for  her  fa- 
tigues, she  could  obtain  the  palm  of  martyrdom, 
which  others  were  fortunate  enough  to  obtain. 
That  she  thanked  them  for  the  good  company 
they  had  afibrded  hgr  down  to  that  time,  and  en- 


62  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


treated  them  not  to  confide  her  resolution  to  any 
one  before  she  had  put  it  in  execution. 

Tlie  little  girls  were  thrown  into  the  utmost 
consternation  when  they  heard  the  uncx])ected 
resolution  she  had  formed,  and  grieving  over  the 
loss  of  their  holy  mistress,  with  tears  in  their 
eyes  entreated  her  not  to  abandon  them.  That 
if  nevertheless  she  was  determined  to  go  to  the 
land  of  the  infidels,  not  to  disdain  to  have  them 
also  there  as  her  companions,  that  they  ofiFered 
themselves  with  their  whole  heart  to  her ;  and 
after  her  example  they  promised  to  fear  no  dan- 
gers, not  even  death  itself.  Mary  Ann  delighted 
with  having  gained  her  companions  over  to  her 
holy  enterprise,  accepted  the  ofi'ering,  and  fixed 
their  flight  for  the  following  night.  Their  whole 
preparation  consisted  in  providing  a  few  clothes 
and  a  small  quantity  of  biscuit ;  this  alone 
seemed  to  them  to  be  sufficient  for  a  journey,  of 
which  they  could  form  no  conception.  Nothing 
now  remained  but  to  secure  the  keys  to  open 
the  door  of  the  house :  and  this  the  blessed 
child  undertook  to  manage.  Finally  the  better 
to  conceal  their  project,  they  all  went  early  to 
bed.  having  agreed  beforehand  with  Mary  Ann. 
who  was  to  wake  them  at  a  certain  hour.  Things 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  63 


being  brougnt  to  this  point,  God,  who  only  de- 
sired the  good  will  for  the  deed,  by  omens  be- 
yond tlie  control  of  the  children,  willed  that  Mary 
Ann  should  be  overpowered  by  such  a  profound 
sleep  at  the  very  time  when  she  was  always  ac- 
customed, about  the  middle  of  the  night,  to  be 
awake  and  to  go  to  prayer,  that  she  did  not 
open  her  eyes  till  it  was  broad  day-light.  Mean- 
while the  domestics  were  in  search  of  the  keys 
of  the  house,  and  finding  them  near  the  servant 
of  God,  gave  notice  of  it  to  D.  Cosimo  and  D. 
Girolama,  who  easily  understood  the  matter. 
For  the  children  frightened  at  seeing  such  a 
commotion  through  the  house,  and  believing  for 
certain  that  they  were  discovered,  went  imme- 
diately, as  little  innocent  children  always  do,  to 
reveal  to  their  parents,  the  secret  of  the  pre- 
meditated flight  of  their  aunt  to  go  and  preach 
the  faith  to  the  people  of  Maragnone. 

Her  first  design  having  failed,  and  still  feel- 
ing herself  more  than  ever  interiourly  con- 
vinced that  it  was  her  duty  to  spend  her  life  in 
solitude,  Mary  Ann  fixed  on  another  plan  which 
seemed  more  easy  to  be  carried  out.  There 
Was  not  very  far  from  Quito  a  very  high  moun- 
tain called  by  the  natives  Picincia,  on  the  top 

5* 


54  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


of  which  was  a  terrible  and  frightful  volcano. 
The  citizens  in  order  to  save  their  lives,  be- 
cause it  often  vomited  forth  quantities  of  ashes 
and  red-hot  stones,  had  had  recourse  to  the  in- 
tercession of  the  most  Blessed  Virgin,  and  ded- 
icated to  her  a  little  chapel  on  the  side  of  the 
mountain.  In  times  past  the  veneration  of  the 
people  for  this  holy  place  was  very  great :  but 
their  fervour  afterwards  cooling,  it  became  al- 
most entirely  abandoned  and  neglected.  It 
seemed  therefore  to  Mary  Ann  very  well  adap- 
ted to  satisfy  at  the  same  time,  her  devotion 
towards  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  her  desire  of 
living  in  solitude,  by  devoting  herself  to  pass 
her  life  in  this  retreat.  She  communicated  her 
new  project  to  her  companions  ;  and  they  imme- 
diately approving  of  it,  ofiFered  themselves  anew 
to  follow  her.  Before,  however,  putting  their 
plan  in  execution,  they  assembled  many  days  to- 
gether to  discuss  and  establish  the  form  and 
tenour  of  their  solitary  life.  And  first  of  all 
that  none  of  the  citizens,  coming  up  the  moun- 
tain of  Picincia,  might  be  ever  able  to  know 
them,  they  resolved  to  wound,  their  faces  with 
pieces  of  glass  and  then  fill  the  incisions  with 
coal  dust,  and  thus  disGgure  themselves  in  such 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  55 


a  manner  as  to  defy  all  recognition.  They  had 
seen  this  done  by  the  Indians  of  the  savage 
tribes,  who  frequently  came  down  to  Quito  to 
make  a  disjilay  of  their  liorrid  beauty.  As  for 
their  dress  it  was  determined,  tliat  it  should  be 
coarse  and  out  of  fashion,  contenting  themselves 
to  wear  patched  clothes  as  became  those  who 
wished  to  lead  a  poor  and  penitential  life  in  an 
hermitage :  and  for  food  they  agreed,  that 
every  week  upon  a  certain  day  one  of  tliora 
should  descend 'from  the  mountain  and  go  and 
beg  from  door  to  door  in  the  city  a  little  bread 
for  the  poor  slaves  of  Mary,  by  which  name 
they  were  to  be  called. 

These  things  being  resolved  upon  by  common 
consent,  they  only  waited  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity of  secretly  leaving  the  house  :  which  was 
to  be  done,  not  by  night  as  was  formerly  in- 
tended, but  in  broad  day-light,  in  order  to  give 
less  ground  for  suspicion  to  their  parents.  Nor 
had  they  to  wait  long ;  for  having  discovered 
that  D.  Cosimo  and  D.  Girolama  had  gone  to 
the  country  at  no  great  distance  from  the  city 
about  some  business  and  would  remain  there 
several  days,  they  began  to  prepare  without  de- 
lay for  their  departure;  and  taking  a  bundle 


^^  MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS. 


containing  some  clothes  and  a  small  provision 
of  food,  secretly  left  the  house,  and  took  a  by- 
path tliat  led  towards  the  mountain.  And  they 
had  already  ascended  half-a-league  up  the  ac- 
clivity, and  being  well  satisfied  with  the  good 
success  of  their  flight,  were  praising  and 
thanking  God,  when  a  wild  bull  darting 
suddenly  from  the  neiglibouring  forest  made 
strait  at  them  with  bended  head  to  gore  them. 
To  escape  from  the  danger  that  threatened 
them,  they  found  no  better  way  than  to  throw 
themselves  in  haste  into  a  ditch,  that  was  aside 
of  the  road  and  there  protected,  wait  till  the 
beast  would  either  turn  back  or  proceed  on. 
And  when  they  saw  that  he  had  gone  away  to 
some  distance  from  them,  coming  forth  from 
their  place  of  security,  they  courageously  started 
to  resume  their  march.  But  behold  the  bull 
returns  to  the  charge  with  more  ferocity  than 
ever :  and  so,  as  often  as  they  attempted  to  go 
forward  on  their  way,  so  often  did  the  animal 
return  to  stop  them.  Mary  Ann  was  much 
more  grieved  at  this  than  any  of  her  compan- 
ions; and  fully  persuaded  that  it  was  the  devil, 
■who  taking  that  form  endeavored  to  turn  them 
from   their  holy   resolution,    tried    frequently 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS. 


57 


with  the  sign  of  the  cross,  to  put  him  to  flight : 
but  seeing  that  this  did  no  good,  she  drew 
aside  and  kneeling  down  turned  to  consult  God 
to  know  what  she  should  do.  The  short  prayer 
ended,  the  Lord,  who  this  time  only  required  ol' 
her  a  promptness  of  will,  made  her  distinctly 
hear  in  her  soul  an  interior  voice,  which  told 
her,  that  it  was  the  will  of  heaven,  that  she 
should  lead  a  life  perfectly  estranged  from  the 
things  of  the  world,  not  in  a  desert  place,  but 
indeed  in  herown  house :  wherefore  having  joined 
her  companions,  "  God,  "  said  she,  "  does  not 
wish  us  to  go  to  the  desert ;  but  wishes  that  we 
turn  back ;  and  we  must  obey  him."  These 
words  were  hardly  uttered  by  Mary  Ann,  be- 
fore the  bull  ceased  to  threaten  them,  and  dis- 
appearing in  the  woods  they  soon  lost  sight  of 
him.  Then  the  little  girls,  turned  their  backs 
to  the  mountain,  and  believing  that  their  flight 
was  not  yet  discovered  by  the  domestics,  has- 
tened to  re-enter  the  house.  But  they  were 
disappointed  in  their  hopes:  for  the  servants 
being  informed  of  the  departure  of  the  little 
girls  and  aware  of  the  flight  once  before  at- 
tempted, immediately  suspected  the  true  cause, 
and  informed  D.  Girolama  of  it,  who  was  then 


58  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


returned  to  the  city,  and  who  easily  obtained  a 
full  account  from  her  daughters  of  the  whole 
adventure. 


CHAPTER  lY, 


SHE  IS  NOT  YET  EIGHT  YEARS  OF  AGE  AND  IS  ADMIT- 
TED TO  HOLY  COMMUNION,  FOR  WHICH  SHE  PRE- 
PARES HERSELF  WITH  GREAT  FERVOUR  AND  DE- 
RIVES ABUNDANT  FRUIT  FROM  IT.  SHE  CONSE- 
CRATES HERSELF  TO  GOD  BY  THE  THREE  SIMPLE 
VOWS  OF  POVERTY,  CHARITY  AND  OBEDIENCE. 
GIVES  HERSELF  UP  ENTIRELY  TO  THE  DIRECTION 
OP  HER  CONFESSOR,  AND  SUFFERS  CONTRADIC- 
TIONS AND  OPPOSITION  ON  ACCOUNT  OF  HER 
DAILY   COMMUNION. 

These  were,  as  every  one  sees,  interiour  impul- 
ses of  grace,  which  was  disposing  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  for  that  austere  and  penitential  life, 
which  she  afterwards  led  for  the  space  of  four- 
teen years.    But  not  knowing  yet  distinctly  what 


MxVRY   ANX   OP   JESUS.  59 


was  the  divine  will  in  this,  nor  having  those  who 
wouhl  be  its  interpreters,  as  she  had  not  yet  given 
herself  up  to  the  guidanceof  her  confessors,  it  fre- 
quently happened  that  she  lent  a  willing  ear  to 
every  good  emotion  that  sprung  up  in  her  heart 
and  endeavored  to  second  it  as  much  as  she 
could,  following  rather  the  impetus  of  her  fer- 
vour than  the  proper  rules  of  discretion.  Hence 
it  was,  that  whilst  God  on  the  one  side  pleased 
with  her  readiness,  accepted  the  good  will,  in 
wonderful  ways  on  the  other  side  prevented  the 
execution  of  it. 

As  for  the  rest,  in  proportion  as  the  servant 
of  God  advanced  in  years,  her  soul  daily  in- 
creased in  perfection.  A  disrelish  and  disgust 
for  the  things  of  the  earth,  a  love  of  solitude 
and  silence,  a  fervour  of  piety  and  devotion,  an 
intimate  communication  and  familiarity  with  God, 
and  a  continual  penitential  vigour,  notwith- 
standing the  extreme  purity,  and  the  greatest 
delicacy  of  conscience  were  every  day  more  and 
more  visible  in  her.  All  these  things  well  con- 
sidered induced  D.  Girolama  to  think  that  she 
ought  no  longer  to  deprive  that  innocent  soul 
of  the  participation  of  the  holy  mysteries,  and 
particularly  of  holy  communion,  for  which  she 


60  MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


seemed  so  well  disposed.  The  only  difficulty  in 
the  way  was  her  tender  age,  as  she  had  not  yet 
completed  her  eighth  year.  But  there  Avas  no 
cause  for  delaying  on  this  account:  because 
Mary  Ann  had  not  only  acquired  the  perfect 
use  of  reason,  which  in  her  certainlj^  anticipat- 
ed her  years,  but  in  all  her  actions  displayed 
such  maturity  of  sense  and  ripeness  of  judg- 
ment, that  she  astonished  all  who  conversed 
with  her.  It  only  then  remained  to  see,  if  she 
were  well  instructed  in  the  mysteries  of  faith, 
and  if  she  sufficiently  comprehended  the  things 
which  are  proposed  to  our  belief  in  the  most 
adorable  sacrament  of  the  Eucharist.  To  clear 
up  this  point  she  was  examined  by  wise  and 
prudent  men,  who  were  struck  at  the  depth  of 
knowledge  she  displayed  in  her  first  answers  to 
their  questions,  and  as  is  recorded  in  the  pro- 
cess, were  of  opinion,  that  such  knowledge  in 
her  was  not  natural,  but  supernaturally  infused 
by  God.  Because,  they  found  that  she  not  only 
believed  with  the  strongest  conviction,  but  spoke 
in  terms  of  the  most  abstruse  and  hidden  mys- 
teries, as  if  she  had  them  before  her  corporal 
eyes;  and  as  for  her  interior  disposition,  she 
had  languished  for  a  long  time  with  the  mos 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  61 


ardent  desire,  and  eagerly  panted  to  be  fed  on 
the  bread  of  angels.  D.  Girolama  being  in- 
formed of  all  this,  immediately  told  her  sister 
to  get  ready  to  make  her  first  communion  at  the 
approaching  festival. 

At  this  good  news,  the  virgin  of  Christ  ex- 
ulted with  joy,  and  began  forthwith  to  prepare 
the  habitation  for  her  beloved  spouse.  She  re- 
doubled her  fasts,  which  were  already  three 
days  a  week,  on  bread  and  water :  increased  the 
measure  of  her  other  penances  and  the  fervour 
of  her  prayers.  When  the  appointed  day  ar- 
rived, she  was  conducted  by  her  sister  to  the 
church  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  and  consigned 
to  Father  John  Camaccio  to  hear  her  confession. 
This  Religious  was  a  man  of  much  virtue  and 
learning,  besides  being  very  expert  in  conduct- 
ing souls  to  the  highest  perfection.  He  was 
teaching  at  the  time  Theology,  and  as  General 
Prefect  of  studies,  presided  over  our  University 
of  St.  Gregory.  After  hearing  her  general  con- 
fession, which  the  Servant  of  God  wished  to 
make  from  the  first  moments  of  her  recollec- 
tion, he  remained  as  it  were  beside  himself  with 
wonder,  in  seeing  in  a  little  girl  of  a  few  years, 
knowledge  so  profound  and   such  lofty  senti- 


62  MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS. 


mcnts  of  God  and  heavenly  things,  and  above 
all  the  most  ardent  desires  of  aspiring  by  the 
practice  of  virtue,  to  the  most  sublime  and  he- 
roic sanctity.  After  this  ho  not  only  comforted 
her  by  permitting  her  to  approach  the  eucha- 
ristic  table,  but  gently  remonstrated  with  her 
sister  D.  Girolama,  for  having  so  long  deprived 
that  innocent  and  pure  soul,  free  from  every 
earthly  blemish,  of  the  salutary  grace  of  the 
sacraments.  Mary  Ann  also  in  her  turn  was 
enraptured  with  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of 
her  confessor,  and  resolved  forthwith  to  give 
herself  up  entirely  to  his  guidance  and  direc- 
tion in  her  spiritual  concerns. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  describe  the  interiour 
affection,  with  which  she  received  her  Lord  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  nor  the  interiour  de- 
lights, which  she  enjoyed  that  day.  Being  hid- 
den things,  we  can  form  no  correct  judgment  o! 
them.  We  can,  however,  from  that  little,  which 
was  exteriourly  manifested  in  her  actions,  make 
some  conjecture  of  how  much  was  concealed 
within  her  soul.  When  therefore  she  had 
poured  forth  her  soul  for  a  considerable  time  itt 
returning  thanks  to  Almighty  God,  she  returned 
home  and  full  of  an  unusual  joy  which  shone 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  63 


upon  her  face,  called   her   nieces,  and   said   to 
them :  Tiiat  henceforth  they  were  to  respect  her 
tongue  and  venerate  her  soul,  whicli  had   I  teen 
sanctified  tliat  morning  by   coming  in  contact 
with  her  immaculate  Spouse  Jesus.     After  this 
she     divested    herself   of    a    beautiful    little 
silk  dress,  which  D.  Girolama  had  wished  licr 
to  use  for  the  occasion ;  and  with  ardent  prayers 
entreated  her  never  mpre  to  think  of  providing 
her  with  ornaments  of  that  description,  which 
she  could  not  bear  to  wear.     The  only  bitter- 
ness and  confusion  she  experienced  on  that  day, 
she  said,  was  that  very  silk  dress,  which  was 
not  for  her ;  and  consequently  that  every  hour 
seemed    a  thousand    years    before   she    could 
return  home  and  lay  aside  that  miserable  vanity. 
And   she  added  with  much  feeling,  that  being 
born,  not  to  please  the  eyes  of  men,  but  solely 
to  become  acceptable  to  her  heavenly  Spouse, 
she  had  no  need  of  adoring  her  body  with  out- 
ward garments,  but  to  deck  her  soul  every  day 
more  and  more  with  the  garb  of  virtue.     And 
that  she  said  the  truth  she  quickly  proved  by 
facts,  generously  retrenching  every  thing,  that 
savoured  of  earth  and  the  world,  and  devoting 
herself  a  perfect  holocaust  to  the  service  and 


64:  MART    A.-.. if   OF  JESUS. 


love  of  God.  She  renounced  the  title  of  Donna, 
which,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  country 
belonged  to  her  by  right  of  birth  and  nobility 
of  family ;  and  that  all  might  know,  that  she 
was  no  longer,  to  use  the  expression,  her  own 
property,  but  belonged  entirely  to  her  heavenly 
Spouse,  she  assumed  the  name  of  Mary  Ann  of 
Jesus,  nor  from  that  time  did  she  wish  to  be 
otherwise  addressed ;  and  finally  she  bound  her- 
self by  vow  to  preserve  her  purity  unspotted 
till  her  death. 

This  was  the  rich  fruit,  which  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  derived  from  her  first  communion. 
And  I  would  wish  that  certain  parents,  who  delay 
so  long  to  make  their  children  partake  of  the  holy 
sacraments,  would  learn  a  useful  lesson  from  the 
example  before  them.  They  wait  till  the  devil 
and  sin  enter  to  darken  and  destroy  the  purity 
and  innocence  of  their  souls,  whilst  Jesus  Christ 
and  his  grace  ought  to  be  the  first  to  take  pos- 
sesion of  them  and  render  them  strong  and 
generous  by  their  presence  against  the  assaults 
of  their  enemies.  Boys  and  girls  may  also 
learn  hence,  with  what  dispositions  they  ought 
to  come  prepared  to  receive  the  cucharistic 
bread,  and  with  what  diligence  guard  and  in- 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  65 


crease  the  fruit  tlicy  receive.  As  for  Mary  Ann, 
she  derived  such  strength  from  the  first  taste  of 
those  heavenly  delights,  with  which  she  felt  her 
whole  soul  inundated  l)y  her  divine  guest,  that 
Bhe  did  not  know  how  to  fix  bounds  to  her  pro- 
gress in  holiness.  All  her  thoughts  and  affec- 
tions were  for  Jesus  :  and  for  many  days  after- 
wards she  could  speak  but  of  him,  nor  desire 
aught  but  him.  The  fulness  of  the  grace  re- 
ceived, instead  of  satiating  her,  had  excited  in 
her  the  greatest  hunger  for  this  divine  bread : 
and  therefore  not  being  able  to  resist  its  cra- 
vings, she  went  immediately  to  Father  Camaccio 
her  confessor,  and  humbly  entreated  him  to  give 
her  permission  frequently  to  approach  the  eu- 
charistic  table. 

But  the  Father,  who  had  discovered  in  her 
from  the  time  of  her  first  confession  a  soul  ca- 
pable of  every  degree  of  advancement  in  per- 
fection, did  not  wish  immediately  to  satisfy  all 
her  desires,  but  pretended  to  oppose  and  con- 
tradict her  wishes.  And  when  he  saw  that  the 
Servant  of  God  promptly  obeyed  and  submitted 
to  every  proof,  he  applied  himself  with  much 
-care  to  cultivate  her  soul.  And  first  of  all  he 
acquainted  her  with  the  spiritual  exercises  of 
i  6* 


66  MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS. 


St.  Ignatius ;  and  in  them  he  explained  to  her 
the  practical  method  of  praying  mentally,  of 
contemplating  with  fruit  the  divine  mysteries 
of  the  life  and  passion  of  Jesus  Christ :  of  pu- 
rifying the  conscience  every  day  by  means  of 
the  two  examens,  general  and  particular:  of 
correcting,  discerning  and  judging  the  spirits, 
which  move  us  to  act,  and  of  knowing  which 
are  good  and  safe,  which  bad  and  deceitful ;  all 
according  to  the  wise  prescriptions  and  rules 
given  by  the  Saint  in  his  admirable  book  of 
the  spiritual  exercises.  Of  the  penances  some 
were  allowed,  others  denied  her :  and  finally  as 
for  communion  it  was  determined,  that  for  the 
present  she  might  receive  every  Sunday,  and 
every  festival  that  happened  to  come  during  the 
week. 

Thus  she  increased  every  day,  more  and  more 
in  virtue,  when,  on  reaching  her  tenth  year,  she 
felt  herself  inspired  to  consecrate  herself  whol- 
ly tcr  God  and  unite  herself  to  him  by  closer 
ties,  renouncing  all  the  things  of  the  earth  and 
divesting  herself  of  her  own  will.  Wherefore 
when  she  renewed  her  vow  of  perpetual 
chastity   made    two  years    before,  she  added 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  67 


the   two   other    simple   vows    of  poverty   and 
obedience.     Father  Camaccio  was  not  pleased 
that  she  had  presumed,  without  consulting-  him, 
to  bind  herself  by  tics  so  indissoIul>le.     There- 
fore to  put  her  virtue  to  the  test,  he  refused  to 
ratify  what  she  had   done ;  and  in  the   mean- 
while, carefully  observed  the  new  way  of  life, 
which  she  would  lead.     But  after  a  short  time, 
seeing  the  great  strides  which  she  made  towards 
the  summit  of  perfection,  he  not  only  approved 
of  the  vows  she  had  made,  but  permitted  her  to 
renew  them,  as  she  did,  writing  also  two  copies 
of  the  formula,  one  of  which  she  retained,  and 
the  other  she  gave  to  her  confessor.     Of  all  the 
property  that  her  parents  left  her  for  a  dowry, 
she  kept  nothing  for  herself,  but  made  a  dona- 
tion  of  the   whole  of  it  to   D.  Giovanna  her 
niece ;  and  as  for  habitation  and  food,  she  threw 
herself  upon  the  charity  of  her  sister  D.  Giro- 
lo.ma.     We  shall  see  in  its  proper  place,  how 
perfectly  she   observed  these  three  vows.     Let 
it  suffice  for  the  present  to  say,  that  according 
to 'the   depositions  of  her  confessors,  she  was 
never  guilty  in  the  whole  course  of  her  life,  of 
a  breach  of  them  that  would  amount  to  a  full, 
deliberate  venial  sin.     And  she  was  not  a  Reli- 


68  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


gious  confined  to  a  cloister,  but  a  secular  in  the 
world,  in  the  midst  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers 
of  an  universal  corruption. 

It  is  true,  that  she  drew  her  whole  strength 
from  the  union  with  her  heavenly  Spouse  in  the 
holy  communion.  Wherefore,  not  content  with 
receiving  him  every  Sunday  and  festival  of  the 
year,  she  earnestly  entreated  her  confessor,  to 
allow  her  to  approach  oftener:  and  he  becoming 
more  liberal,  permitted  her  to  receive  holy  com- 
munion three  times  a  week.  This  however 
only  served  to  increase  the  hunger  of  her  pure 
soul  which  was  enamoured  with  God.  She  was 
interiourly  inflamed  with  the  most  ardent  desire 
of  receiving  still  oftener  Jesus  Christ  within  her 
bosom;  and  awaited  with  the  greatest  anx- 
iety the  day,  on  which,  according  to  the  permis- 
sion of  her  confessor,  she  could  approach  the 
holy  table.  It  was  observed,  that  that  wonder- 
ful prodigy  was  renewed  in  her,  which  the  holy 
Scriptures  relate  of  the  prophet  Elias,  who 
being  fed  with  that  food  that  was  miraculously 
brought  him,  walked  with  strength  and  vigour 
unto  the  holy  mount  of  God.  Mary  Ann  after 
communicating,  felt  such  vigour  and  strength 
of  spirit,  which  overflowing,  and   as  it  were, 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  69 


taking   possession   of  licr,   she   needed  during 
that  day,  no  material  food  to  support  her.     On 
the  contrary,  on  the  day  tliat  intervened,  and  on 
which  she  had  to  abstain  from  the  food  of  the 
strong,  she  seemed   sensibly  to  languish   as  it 
were,   for   want   of    food,  and    from  loss    of 
^strength,  to  need  frequent  sustenance.     Father 
Camaccio,  to  whom  the  servant  of  God  every 
day  rendered  an  exact  account  of  her  conscience, 
knew  her  sufferings;   and  at  last  considering 
the  extreme  purity  of  her  soul,  and  the  ardent 
love  she  has  for  Jesus,  after  recommending  the 
matter  to  God  with  many  prayers,  determined 
to  allow  her  to  approach  daily.     But  he  first 
asked  her,  what  was  the  preparation  she  was 
accustomed  to  make,  and  being  told,  that  her 
care  was  always  to  strive,  that  her  union  with 
her  heavenly  Spouse  should  every  day  increase, 
and  become  more  intimate :  and  therefore  stu- 
died to  seek  him  and  love  him  more  and  more. 
Hearing  this,  it  did  not  seem  to  him  that  he 
ought  to  deprive  Mary  Ann  any  longer  of  that 
gi-eat  happiness  ;  and  gave  her  permission  to  ap- 
proach every  day. 

Whilst   the  servant  of  God  was,  as  it  were, 
out  of  herself  with  the  joy  she  had  received, 


70  MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS. 


there  suddenly  rose  one  of  the  most  furioug 
storms  of  contradictions  against  her.  In  those 
days  the  faithful  were  not  much  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting  the  holy  table ;  and  those  who  ap. 
preached  every  eighth  day  were  considered  fai 
advanced  in  the  things  of  God.  As  soon  as  ii 
was  known  therefore,  that  Mary  Ann,  a  little 
girl  who  at  the  time  had  hardly  passed  her 
twelfth  year,  communicated  every  day  with  the 
approbation  of  her  director,  some  began  to  mur- 
mur, and  in  a  short  time,  as  is  always  the  case, 
she  was  the  common  talk  all  over  the  city. 
Every  one  wished  to  meddle  in  the  matter  and 
to  censure  her  without  mercy :  and  not  alone 
the  common  people,  but  men  also  very  much  es- 
teemed for  learning  and  piety,  who  from  not 
knowing  Mary  Ann,  judged  her  according  to 
the  common  report  which  was  circulated  about. 
They  did  not  deny  that  she  was  a  child  of  irre- 
proachable morals  and  of  an  angelical  purity ; 
nevertheless  that  she  was  too  young  and  per- 
haps, for  want  of  sufficient  reason,  not  even  ar- 
rived at  a  proper  age  to  understand  the  myste- 
ries, that  are  contained  in  that  most  august  sac- 
rament. That  daily  communion  was  with  diffi- 
culty allowed  to  persons  of  a  mature  age,  of 


MARY   ANN  OP  JESUS.  71 


solid  virtue,  enclosed  in  a  monastery,  or  distin- 
guished by  Aluiighty  God  with  particular  marks 
of  favour.     What  discretion  was  there  tlien  in 
granting  it  to  a  little  child  of  twelve  years  of 
age,  living  in  the  midst  of  the  world  and  its 
distractions  ?     Father  Camaccio  had  enough  to 
do  to  defend  himself  and  his  penitent :  because 
the  rumour   instead  of  dying  away  increased 
daily  :  and  reached  such  a  point  that  it  excited 
the  fears  and  suspicion  of  the  Superiours  of  the 
Society  and  of  the  Episcopal  officers  of  Quito. 
Mary  Ann  was  very  much  afflicted,  not  so  much 
for  herself,  as  for  her  director,  upon  whom   the 
heaviest  censures  fell,  as  a  man  of  little  wisdom 
and  experience  in  guiding  souls  in  the  way  of 
virtue.     Nevertheless  she  was  never  for  a  mo- 
ment discouraged  or  dejected  in  the  midst  of  so 
much  contradiction;  but  whilst  on  the  one  side 
she  suffered  every  thing  with  perfect  resignation 
to  the  divine  will  and  endured  it  with  patience, 
her  great  love  for  Jesus  Christ  in  the  sacrament, 
on  the  other,  rendered  her  courageous  to  sur- 
mount every  obstacle.     And  speaking  one  day 
with  her  confessor,  who  seeing  the  brand  of 
discord  ignited,  was  at  a  perfect  loss  to  know 
what  to  do,  she  encouraged   him  to  place  his 


72  MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


trust  in  God  who  would  put  a  term  to  this  op- 
position; "my  father,"  said  she,  "let  us  confide 
inthe  Lord  ;  that  his  holy  will  be  done,  and  not 
that  of  men."  And  it  turned  out  just  as  she  had 
predicted.  For  the  Bishop,  in  order  to  do  away 
with  every  cause  of  contention  and  disagree- 
ment, called  before  him  a  council  of  the 
wisest  and  most  learned  men,  and  in  the  pre- 
sence also  of  the  Superiours  of  the  Religious 
Orders  wished  that  the  pro  &  con  of  the  cause 
should  be  examined :  and  as  Almighty  God 
wished,  urged  by  the  weight  of  the  reasons 
brought  forward,  with  one  common  accord,  they 
approved  the  conduct  of  Father  Camaccio,  and 
left  the  servant  of  God  full  liberty  to  communi- 
cate every  day.  It  is  true  that  some  individuals 
did  not  cease  therefore  to  scoff  at  her  for  some 
time :  but  she  was  not  at  all  disturbed,  and 
only  in  order  to  prevent  their  talk,  she  prudently 
strove  to  communicate  at  a  mass,  which  was 
said  very  late,  and  at  a  time  when  few  persons 
were  in  the  church.  The  fame  of  her  admira- 
ble sanctity  being  afterwards  increased,  not 
only  the  tongues  of  her  enemies  were  silenced, 
but  they  were  all  turned  into  the  highest  com- 
mendation  of  her.  A  few  years  later.  Father 
Camaccio  having  been  obliged  to  quit  Quito,  she 


MARY   ANN  OP  JESUS.  73 


chose  successively  for  her  directors  the  very 
fathers,  wlio  had  shown  themselves  somewhat 
opposed  to  her  on  this  point;  and  all  of  them 
as  soon  as  they  saw  by  what  spirit  she  was^'ui- 
ded,  condemned  themselves  as  rash  in  having 
prejudged  without  a  knowledge  of  the  cause. 
Thus  ended  this  no  small  contraction  raised 
against  the  servant  of  God. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SEVERAL  TIMES  THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN  IS  ON  THE 
VERY  POINT  OF  ENTERING  A  MONASTERY  TO  BE- 
COME A  RELIGIOUS,  BUT  IS  ALWAYS  PREVEIS'TED 
BY  ALMIGHTY  GOD  FROM  EXECUTING  HER  RESO- 
LUTION, FINALLY  BY  A  SPECIAL  LIGHT  PROM 
HEAVEN  SHE  DETERMINES  TO  LEAD  A  SOLITARY 
LIFE  IN  HER  OWN  HOUSE.  SHE  DETACHES  HER- 
SELF FROM  EVERY  EARTHLY  THING,  AND  TAKES 
LEAVE  OP  HER  RELATIONS.  HER  PROPHECIES  : 
AND  A  REMARKABLE  OCCURRENCE  THAT  HAP- 
PENED TO  HER  NIECE  D.  SEBASTIANA. 

The  great  retirement  in  which  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  lived,  devoting   herself  entirely  to 

7 


74:  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


the  exercise  of  the  most  heroic  virtues,  and 
above  all  the  knowledge  that  she  was  already- 
consecrated  to  God  by  the  three  vows  of  pov- 
erty, chastity  and  obedience,  which  constitute 
the  religious  state,,  induced  D.  Cosimo  her  bro- 
ther-in-law and  D.  Girolamaher  sister  to  think  she 
would  be  much  pleased  if  they  proposed  to  her 
to  become  an  inmate  of  some  monastery  of  vir- 
gins for  the  purpose  of  finishing  her  education, 
and  afterwards  should  it  be  the  will  of  Almighty 
God.  make  her  religious  profession.  The  ser- 
vant of  God  was  not  at  all  opi)Oscd  to  it:  on 
the  contrary  having  contracted  a  friendship  with 
the  Mother  Anna  di  S.  Paolo,  superiouress  of 
the  monastery  of  St.  Catherine,  she  one  day 
asked  her  with  much  humility  to  be  admitted 
for  the  present  as  a  scholar,  until  she  would 
discover  by  a  heavenly  light  whether  she  was  to 
consecrate  herself  irrevocably  therein  or  not. 
This  was  the  very  thing  these  good  Religious 
ladies  desired,  who  had  long  known  the  extra- 
ordinary virtues  of  Mary  Ann ;  and  therefore 
having  resolved  that  she  should  enter  the  mon- 
astery that  very  day,  and  as  nothing  was  want- 
ing but  the  consent  of  her  brother-in-law  D. 
Cosimo,  they  sent  immediately  in  search  of  him 


MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS.  75 


to  the  puljlic  square,  where  generally  he  was 
accustomed  to  amuse  himself  at  that  hour  with 
other  gentlemen.  But  in  spite  of  all  their  mes- 
sengers and  the  inquiries  they  made,  he  was  not 
to  be  found :  and  the  consequence  was  that  not 
being  able  to  conclude  the  affair,  Mary  Ann 
towards  dusk  returned  home ;  and  having  after- 
wards related  to  D.  Cosimo  all  that  had  taken  placo 
during  the  day,  he  was  very  much  surprised,  say- 
ing that  lie  had  never  left  the  public  square,  nor 
could  he  understand  why  he  had  not  been  seen 
by  some  one  of  the  many  passengers,  who  went 
in  search  of  him  :  and  concluded,  that  it  was 
perhaps  a  particular  dispensation  of  the  Almighty, 
who  did  not  approve  of  the  resolution  she  had 
taken. 

After  some  months,  D.  Cosimo  was  the  first 
to  propose  to  his  sister-in-law  to  become  a  Re- 
ligious ;  and  because  some  impediments  had 
arisen  to  prevent  her  entrance  among  the  Reli- 
gious of  St.  Catherine,  he  suggested  to  her  to 
become  a  nun  in  the  convent  of  St.  Clare.  And 
Mary  Ann  having  told  him,  that  she  would  will- 
ingly enter  that  monastery,  if  such  were  the 
will  of  God,  D.  Cosimo  not  reflecting  on  the 
condition,  but  taking  her  answer  as  absolutely 


76  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


affirmative,  began  immediately  to  prepare  every 
thing  requisite  for  her  solemn  entranee.  The 
nuns  were  already  informed  of  it,  the  relatives 
of  the  family  and  the  nobility  invited,  the  day 
fixed,  and  every  thing  arranged  with  much  ex- 
pense and  pomp,  as  was  befitting  the  rank  and 
birth  of  the  young  lady.  Mary  Ann  alone  in 
the  midst  of  all  this  preparation,  contrary  to 
her  usual  custom,  remained  cold  and  indifferent, 
as  if  the  matter  did  not  at  all  regard  her.  Re- 
collecting that  interiour  voice  she  once  heard  on 
mount  Picincia,  by  which  it  appeared  to  be  the 
will  of  God,  that  she  should  lead  a  retired  life  in 
her  own  home,  and  no  where  else,  she  withdrew 
in  silence  to  her  room,  and  with  many  prayers 
and  penances  besought  her  divine  Spouse  to 
guide  her  in  her  deliberation  and  make  known 
to  her  his  divine  will.  She  had  not  to  wait 
long  to  receive  the  grace.  We  know  not  how ; 
but  it  is  certain,  that  she  was  so  fully  persuaded 
and  convinced  that  she  was  not  to  lead  a  reli- 
gious life  in  a  monastery,  but  remain  a  secular 
in  her  own  home,  that  not  the  smallest  doubt  or 
suspicion  could  exist  of  an  illusion  or  deceit. 
Afterwards  going  to  the  church.  Father  Cam- 
accio  before  hearing  her  confession,  asked  her 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  77 


when  she  intended  to  enter  the  monastery.  And 
she  replied  immediately  with  much  firmness, 
that  she  could  never  enter.  The  Father  won- 
dered very  much  at  this  answer.  "  What  do  you 
tell  me,  never!"  said  he:  "is  not  every  thing 
prepared,  and  only  a  few  days  remaining  before 
you  enter  ?"  And  still  it  is  so,  she  again  replied 
in  a  firm  voice :  I  will  not  enter,  because  my 
Spouse  does  not  wish  it.  Mary  Ann  was  al- 
ways very  guarded  in  speaking,  especially  of 
herself  and  her  affairs :  consequently  her  con- 
fessor hearing  her  reply  with  such  assurance, 
quickly  judged,  that  she  had  had  some  special 
inspiration  from  God,  and  ordered  her  on  the 
spot  to  declare  what  it  was.  The  servant  of 
the  Lord  promptly  obeyed,  and  opening  her 
whole  soul  to  him,  told  him  frankly,  what  by 
the  light  of  prayer,  she  had  clearly  discovered : 
and  he  was  not  only  satisfied,  but  so  convinced 
of  the  thing,  that  he  took  upon  himself  the  task 
of  speaking  to  D.  Cosimo  and  D.  Girolama,  re- 
presenting to  them,  that  it  was  the  express  will 
of  God,  that  Mary  Ann  should  not  shut  herself 
up  in  a  monastery,  but  lead  a  life  of  retirement 
in  her  own  home. 

It  did  not  appear,  to  tell  tlie  truth,  such  an 


6* 


78  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


easy  matter  to  change  in  an  instant  the  will  and 
judgment  of  D.  Cosimo,  who,  although  he  was  a 
man  of  much  virtue,  was  nevertheless  naturally 
very  sensitive  and  jealous  of  his  honour.  It 
was  feared,  therefore,  that  having  already  con- 
cluded the  contract  with  the  nuns,  and  pledged 
his  word  with  tlie  nobility,  he  would  not  be  so 
easily  induced  to  retrace  his  steps  and  undo 
what  was  already  done  at  the  expense  of  his  re- 
putation. Notwithstanding  all  this,  as  God  di- 
rected every  thing,  so,  by  the  Divine  disposal, 
no  difficulty  or  obstacle  was  met  with  on  this 
point.  Father  Camaccio,  accompanied  by  Father 
Anthony  Monosalvas,  who  was  afterwards  also 
the  confessor  of  Mary  Ann,  went  to  visit  him, 
and  in  few  words  told  him  the  occasion  of  their 
visit.  And  that  it  might  more  clearly  appear 
that  God  directed  the  whole  affair,  the  Father 
had  no  sooner  concluded  his  discourse,  than,  as 
is  recorded  in  the  juridical  process,  D.  Cosimo 
and  D.  Girolama  threw  themselves  on  their 
knees,  and  raising  their  hands  to  heaven,  de- 
clared, "  We  neither  wish  nor  desire  aught  than 
that  the  will  of  the  Lord  be  done  and  accom- 
plished in  all  things."  And  immediately,  with 
great  peace  and  tranquillity  of  mind,  they  gave 


MART  ANN   OP  JESUS.  79 


orders  for  the  suspension  of  every  thing,  and 
after  offering  as  a  present  to  Mary  Ann  all  tliat 
had  been  prepared  for  her  entrance  into  the  mo- 
nastery, assigned  her,  for  her  place  of  retire- 
ment, a  certain  apartment  of  the  house  divided 
into  several  rooms. 

The  Blessed  Mary  Ann  rejoiced  beyond  mea- 
sure to  see  the  final  accomplishment  of  her  de- 
sires, distriVmted  to  the  poor  whatever  had  been 
given  her  as  a  present  by  her  relatives,  and 
sedulously  set  about  preparing  the  suite  of 
apartments  in  which  God  called  her  to  lead  a 
life  truly  extraordinary.  And  the  first  thing 
she  did  was  to  remove  all  the  rich  and  sump- 
tuous furniture  from  the  rooms,  retaining  only 
a  few  chairs,  a  small  table,  and  a  miserable 
little  bed,  which  she  never  used,  but  which 
served  to  hide  her  austerities  from  the  eyes  of 
others.  She  selected  these  and  a  few  other 
pieces  of  furniture  from  among  the  meanest  of 
the  house,  but  they  were  all  decent  and  clean: 
for,  as  she  herself  was  all  purity  in  soul  and  body 
she  abhorred  every  appearance  of  filth.  Be- 
sides this,  she  supplied  herself  with  every  de- 
scription of  penitential  instruments — hair-shirts, 
chains,   disciplines,   crosses,   and,  moreover,  a 


80  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


coffin — for  what  use,  we  will  see  afterwards. 
Ill  the  most  private  and  secret  corner  she  erect- 
ed a  little  altar,  that  had  more  devotion  about 
it  than  riches,  and  on  it  she  placed  the  little 
statues  of  the  Infant  Jesus  and  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin, which  had  been  from  her  infancy  the  fond- 
est objects  of  her  love.  Around  the  naked  wall 
she  hung  many  crosses,  and  the  simple  images  of 
the  saints,  her  patrons  and  advocates.  Lastly, 
she  ordered  a  lock  to  be  fixed  on  the  inside  of 
her  apartment,  that  could  not  be  opened  from 
without;  having  from  the  beginning  resolved 
to  admit  no  one,  not  even  her  nearest  relatives, 
into  her  rooms. 

With  respect  to  dress,  she  absolutely  laid  aside 
every  article  that  could  beof  ornament,  and  also 
those  made  of  linen.  For  her  under-dress  she 
used  a  thick  and  common  canvass,  much  used  by 
the  common  country  people,  but  so  artfully 
made,  that  the  few  trimmings  by  which  it  was 
encircled,  and  which  appeared  around  the  neck, 
were  of  a  somewhat  better  and  finer  texture, 
and  thus  none  could  see  the  haircloth  that  was 
next  her  person ;  her  dress  was  a  gown  of  black 
serge,  much  like  that  of  the  Fathers  of  the  So- 
ciety, without  a  collar,  and  open  above  and  be- 


MART   ANN   OP  JESUS.  8j' 


low,  whicli  was  fa?tencd  to  lier  body  with  a  l)clt 
from  which  Imng  the  rosary  of  the  ^[ost  Blessed 
Virgin;  her  head  was  covered  with  a  large  veil, 
likewise  black,  which,  falling  over  her  shoulders, 
covered  her  whole  person  as  far  as  the  feet,  like 
a  cloak.  I  find  it  recorded  in  the  process,  that 
she  carried  also  on  her  breast  the  most  holy 
name  of  Jesus,  by  which  she  always  wished  to  be 
addressed,  wrought  in  her  dress.  Hence  it  was 
that,  as  we  find  in  the  process,  on  account  of  her 
peculiar  fonu  of  dress,  and  her  constant  attend- 
ance at  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  she  was  com- 
monly called  the  Oblate  of  the  Society :  but  the 
truth  is,  she  had  no  other  intimacy  with  the  So- 
ciety but  a  great  love  and  aflfection  for  it,  as  she 
had  always  been  directed  in  spiritual  matters 
by  the  members  of  the  Society,  and  on  account 
of  her  desire  to  conform,  in  as  much  as  she 
could,  to  the  rules  of  the  Order,  especially  in 
those  things  which  regarded  her  interiour. 

Every  thing  being  now  arranged,  and  being 
on  the  point  of  shutting  herself  up,  a  voluntary 
recluse  in  her  domestic  solitude,  Mary  Ann 
wished  to  bid  an  affectionate  farewell,  first  to 
her  relatives,  who  were  out  of  the  house,  then  to 
the  family  itself,  as  if  she  were  never  more  to 


82  MART  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


see  tliein  in  this  world.  But  the  parting  scene 
between  her  and  her  three  nieces,  with  whom 
she  had  been  brought  up,  was  by  far  the  most 
touching.  Sending  for  them,  she  conducted 
them  to  a  retired  spot,  and  there,  with  many 
expressions  of  affection,  told  them  of  the  resolu- 
tion she  had  formed,  and  the  new  kind  of  soli- 
tary life,  which,  by  the  Divine  appointment,  she 
was  about  to  commence ;  that  every  thing  was 
now  ready,  and  that  nothing  remained  but  to 
shut  herself  up  in  her  voluntary  retreat,  which 
the  charity  of  their  parents  had  prepared  for  her; 
that  she  had  therefore  wished  to  see  them  first, 
and  to  bid  them  a  lasting  farewell;  to  thank 
them  for  their  agreeable  conversation  and  com- 
pany, which  she  had  enjoyed  up  to  that  hour, 
in  her  daily  intercourse  with  them ;  and  if,  in 
the  frequent  communication  they  had  had  to- 
gether, she  had  been  an  occasion  of  scandal,  or 
bad  example,  to  ask  pardon  and  forgiveness  of 
them ;  that  she  had  seen  nothing  but  what  was 
praiseworthy  in  their  conduct,  which  had  always 
been  extremely  edifying,  or  in  their  morals, 
which  had  been,  by  the  protection  of  God,  inno- 
cent and  pure — they  should  recollect,  however, 
that  the  enemies  of  their  salvation  would  never 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  83 


cease  to  lay  their  snares  and  devices  to  divert 
them  from  the  right  path;  that  it  was  neces- 
sary to  watcli  continually  over  themselves,  and, 
armed  by  a  holy  fear  of  God,  to  maintain  them- 
selves firm  and  constant  in  the  exercise  of  the 
virtues  heretofore  practised ;  they  should  take 
to  heart  solid  piety  and  devotion,  nourishing 
them  by  the  frequentation  of  the  holy  sacra- 
ments, nor  sufler  themselves  to  be  seduced  by 
the  follies  of  the  world  and  vain  hopes,  which  so 
many  unfortunate  youths  ])lace  in  the  vigour  of 
youth,  beauty  of  persoi^,  and   in  the  abundance 
of  riches.     Then,  Avith  her  heart  upon  her  lips, 
remembering  the   tender  love  she  had  always 
borne   them,  as   to  the   companions   from   her 
childhood  of  her  devotions,  she  begged  them 
that  they  would  never  forget  to  recommend  her 
often  to  the  Lord.     For  the  rest,  that  when  she 
would  be  once  shut  up  in  her  retirement,  they 
should  look  upon  Mary  Ann  from  that  day  as 
dead;  for  sucli  was  the  will  of  her  Divine  Spouse. 
In  saying  this,  and  scarcely  able  to  restrain  her 
tears,  on  account  of  the  interiour  commotion  ex- 
perienced, she  extended  her  arms  to  embrace 
them;  but  the  children,  surprised  by  the  no- 
velty of  the  thing,  whilst  Mary  Ann  was  speak* 


84  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


ing,  had  remained  as  it  were  astonished  and  out 
of  themselves ;  scarcely  had  she  finished,  when 
they  drew  back,  bursting  into  a  flood  of  tears. 
They  were  inconsolable  at  the  announcement  of 
this  bitter  and  unexpected  separation;  and  there- 
fore, after  giving  way  for  some  little  time  to 
tlieir  sighs  and  tears,  they  humbly  entreated 
their  loving  aunt  to  admit  them  all  three  into 
her  solitude ;  and  when  they  were  told  that  such 
was  not  the  will  of  God,  seized  with  a  new  ar- 
dour, they  offered  to  consecrate  themselves, 
after  her  exemple,  spouses  of  Jesus  Christ  by  a 
perpetual  vow  of  chastity.  The  saint  was  de- 
lighted to  see  so  much  fervour  in  her  nieces ; 
and  at  the  same  moment,  being  enlightened  from 
above,  and  foreseeing  Avhat  was  to  happen,  told 
D.  Giovanna  that  God  did  not  wish  that  vow 
from  her,  having  destined  her  for  the  state  of 
matrimony,  and  then  she  distinctly  pointed  out 
to  her  the  endowments  and  the  qualities  of  the 
individual  who  would  be  her  husband.  After- 
wards turning  to  the  other  two,  D.  Maria  and 
D.  Sebastiana,  she  exhorted  them  to  be  constant 
in  their  resolution,  which  God  had  graciously 
accepted;  and  to  D.  Sebastiana  in  particular, 
she  added,  that  her  virtue  would  be  put  to  a 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESCS.  85 


severe  trial ;  that  she  must  not  on  that  account 
lose  courage,  and  should  it  cost  her  her  life,  to 
preserve  tlie  promise  and  faith  pledged  to  her 
Divine  Spouse.  And  it  came  to  pass  just  as 
she  had  predicted.  D.  Giovanna  led  an  edify- 
ing life  in  the  marriage  state;  and  we  shall 
speak  of  her  several  times  in  the  course  of  this 
history,  when  we  recount  the  singular  favours 
she  received  from  God  through  the  intercession 
of  Mary  Ann,  still  living.  D.  Maria  consecrated 
herself  to  God  in  a  monastery  of  barefooted 
Carmelites,  where,  ripe  'in  age  and  merits,  she 
died  in  the  odour  of  sanctity :  she  long  survived 
the  servant  of  God,  and  could  consequently  de- 
pose in  the  process  to  the  wonderful  things  which 
she  had  seen  with  her  own  eyes,  D.  Sebastiana 
was  still  more  fortunate,  who  obtained  of  God 
the  happiness  of  dying  rather  than  lose  the 
flower  of  her  virginity ;  and  she  had  the  privi- 
lege of  having  her  blessed  aunt  to  assist  her  in 
the  last  moments  of  her  extraordinary  death. 
The  fact,  although  recorded  in  the  process, 
escaped  the  notice  of  the  first  writer  of  Mary 
Ann's  life;  and  I,  in  order  not  to  transfer  the 
recital  of  it  to  a  more  distant  page,  will  give  it 
here,  where  it  suits  my  purpose. 

8 


86  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


D.  Sebastiana  being  in  her  thirteenth  or 
fourteenth  year,  and,  moreover,  desirous  of  fol- 
lowing the  example  of  her  sainted  aunt,  with 
many  prayers  entreated  her  to  admit  her  into 
her  apartment,  that  they  might  there  lead  to- 
gether a  life  entirely  separated  from  the  world, 
and  united  to  God.  At  first  Mary  Ann  refused 
to  accede  to  her  request ;  but  afterwards,  moved 
by  the  perseverance  of  her  niece,  who  every  day 
renewed  her  petition,  finally  consented,  and 
gave  her  a  room  at  a  little  distance  from  her 
own,  in  order  that  she  might  not  discover  the 
wonderful  austerity  she  practised.  D.  Sebas- 
tiana, overjoyed  to  have  obtained  her  object, 
took  up  her  abode  in  the  apartment  of  her 
aunt ;  and  that  she  might  never  more  be  sepa- 
rated from  her,  by  her  counsel,  and  with  the 
approbation  of  her  confessor,  she  bound  herself 
to  God  by  a  perpetual  vow  of  chastity-  Several 
years  had  passed  since  they  began  to  lead  to- 
gether this  angelical  life,  when,  one  day,  the 
saint,  in  a  conversation  with  her  sister,  D.  Gi- 
rolama,  accidentally  heard  her  say  that  Sebas- 
tiana had  been  betrothed  to  a  young  man  as 
distinguished  for  his  nobility  as  he  was  for  his 
virtue.     At  which  she  was  very  much  surprised, 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  87 


and  interrupted  her.  to  tell  her  that  she  must 
take  care  what  she  did ;  that  such  certainly  was 
not  her  daughter's  intention,,  who  had,  several 
years  previously,  made  a  vow  of  chastity.  D. 
Girolania,  astonished  also  in  her  turn,  was  for 
some  time  lost  in  thouglit;  after  tliat,  replied 
with  much  sorrow,  that  it  was  now  too  late ; 
that  not  only  had  they  pledged  their  word,  and 
concluded  the  contract,  but  that  the  expenses 
had  already  been  incurred,  and  every  prepara- 
tion made  for  solemnizing  the  marriage.  Having 
heard  this,  Mary  Ann  immediately  retired  to 
her  chamber,  and  having  called  her  niece  to  her, 
"  Do  you  know,"  said  she,  "  that  your  parents 
have  already  disposed  of  you  to  an  earthly  man  ? 
Now  what  will  you  do,  having  promised  to  Jesus 
Christ  to  preserve  your  virginity  unspotted  ?" 
The  young  girl,  at  this  unexpected  news,  wos 
dissolved  in  tears ;  then  suddenly  recovering 
herself,  "  Very  well,"  she  replied,  "  I  sliall  ask 
my  Divine  Spouse  to  take  me  to  himself,  by  re- 
moving me  out  of  this  life  before  the  day  ap- 
pointed for  the  nuptials  arrives."  Mary  Ann 
approved  of  her  resolution,  and  exhorted  her  to 
implore  this  grace  of  God,  as  she  was  sure  to 
obtain  it:  and  both  of  them  immediately  knelt 


88  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


down  to  pray.  After  their  prayer  was  finished, 
she  sent  her  niece  to  bed,  who  was  taken,  that 
very  same  night,  with  a  very  violent  fever : 
wherefore,  early  next  morning,  the  Saint  went 
to  her  sister  to  tell  her  that  Sebastiana  was 
dangerously  ill;  that  she  should  think  of  trans- 
ferring her  into  her  own  room,  and  afterwards 
might  give  her  a  husband,  if  she  wished.  The 
physicians  were  quickly  summoned,  and  every 
remedy  was  tried,  but  all  to  no  purpose ;  for, 
instead  of  getting  better,  she  gradually  grew 
worse.  In  the  meantime  the  servant  of  God 
asked  her  sister  to  have  some  fresh  bunches  of 
flowers  brought;  "  because,"  said  she,  "we  must 
begin  to  prepare  for  the  funeral  obsequies  of 
Sebastiana."  These  words  pierced  D.  Girolama 
to  the  heart,  who,  turning  to  Marn  Ann,  said, 
"You  are  determined,  it  seems,  on  the  death  of 
my  daughter."  She  had,  nevertheless,  the  flowers 
for  which  she  had  asked;  and  so  entertained 
herself  for  several  hours  in  the  room  of  the  in- 
valid, talking  of  the  happiness  of  heaven,  and 
weaving  together  garlands,  crowns,  and  festoons, 
such  as  they  are  accustomed  to  strew  on  the 
corpses  of  deceased  virgins.  When  their  work 
was   ended,  the  Saint  stood  up  and  spoke  in 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  89 


secret,  for  some  time,  to  tlie  invalid ;  after  that, 
with  much  hilarity,  taking  leave  of  her  sister, 
tliere  present,  "  Good-by,"  said  she,  "  I  am  go- 
ing to  leave  Sebastianaiu  Paradise."  To  whom 
D.  Girolama,  deeply  oppressed  with  grief,  re- 
plied, "  Go,  my  sister;  you  have  alreauy  scut 
her  there  by  express."  Mary  Ann  left,  to  shut 
herself  up  in  her  retreat;  and  the  invalid  with- 
in an  hour,  without  any  sign  of  pain  or  agony, 
calmly  expired.  D.  Girolama  ran  immediately, 
with  her  hair  dishevelled,  and  weeping  bitterly, 
to  inform  her  sister;  and  liaving  knocked  seve- 
ral times  at  the  door,  and  seeing  she  did  not 
answer,  nor  open  it,  by  pushing,  she  broke  the 
bojt  on  the  inside,  and  entering,  found  the  ser- 
vant of  God  on  licr  knees,  in  an  ecstacy,  before 
her  little  altar,  with  her  eyes  raised  to  heaven, 
and  perfectly  motionless.  She  tried  to  recall 
her  to  herself  by  shaking  her  by  the  clothes, 
and  calling  her  in  a  loud  voice ;  but  finding  it 
useless,  she  went  away,  leaving  her  still  in  an 
ecstacy.  A  little  after,  Mary  Ann  came  forth 
from  her  room,  and,  with  her  face  inflamed,  and 
every  appearance  of  joy  about  her,  meeting  her 
sister,  D.  Girolama,  "  Oh,  let  us  thank  the  Lord," 
said  she ;  "  Sebastiana  is  already  in  company 

8* 


90  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


with  her  Divine  Spouse :  weep  not,  but  rejoice 
that  you  have  acquired  a  son-in-law  of  such  a 
high  and  divine  lineage  :  you  have  married  your 
daughter  to  Jesus  Christ  for  all  eternity.  Happy 
would  we  be,  if  we  could  now  enjoy  her  lot !" 
Having  said  this,  she  retired  again  to  her  apart- 
ment, very  much  agitated  in  mind  by  her  inte- 
riour  emotions  of  affection.  She  wished  after- 
wards to  be  present  at  the  public  and  solemn 
obsequies  which  were  performed  for  her  niece 
in  the  Church  of  St.  Francis,  whither  a  great 
concourse  of  persons  had  assembled,  drawn 
thither  by  the  report  of  this  wonderful  occur- 
rence, which  quickly  circulated  all  over  the  city, 
and  the  recollection  of  which  continued  for  many 
years  afterwards. 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  91 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  RIGID  COURSE  OP  LIFE  WHICH  THE  BLESSED 
MARY  ANN  COMMENCED  TO  LEAD  IN  HER  RETIRE- 
MENT. THE  ORDER  AND  DISTRIBUTION  OP  HER 
ACTIONS.  THE  INVENTIONS  AND  STRANGE  CON- 
TRIVANCES TO  TORMENT  HER  BODY,  AND  THE 
HORRIBLE  MANNER  IN  WHICH  SHE  TREATED  IT. 
THE  ARDENT  DESIRE  SHE  HAD  OF  SHEDDING  HER 
BLOOD  FOR  THE  LOVE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST:  IT  IS 
REWARDED  BY  ALMIGHTY  GOD  WITH  WONDERFUL 
PRODIGIES. 

To  return  to  our  history.  When  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  had  bidden  her  last  farewell 
to  her  relatives,  her  nieces,  to  every  thing  which 
belonged  to  the  flesh  and  the  world,  she  at  length 
shut  herself  up  in  her  long-wished  for  retreat. 
She  was  only  in  her  twelfth  year;  and  continued 
for  about  fourteen  years — that  is  to  say,  to  her 
death — to  lead  a  solitary  life,  separated  entirely 
from  the  world,  and  devoted  exclusively  to  the 
contemplation  of  heavenly  things,  and  the  mor- 
tification of  her  innocent  and  virginal   body. 


92  MAEY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


I  will  proceed,  taking  each  thing  up  success- 
ively,  and  place  them  distinctly  before  the 
reader ;  and  first,  I  will  relate  that  uncommon 
and  extraordinary  rigour  which  she  practised  in 
every  kind  of  austerity  and  penance.  To  di- 
minish the  wonder,  and  I  would  almost  gay,  the 
horror,  which  the  sight  of  these  corporal  inflic- 
tions might  naturally  excite  in  us,  considering 
that  she  who  exercised  them  was  one  of  un- 
spotted innocence,  and  therefore  had  nothing  to 
atone  for,  we  must  again  remind  the  reader  of 
what  we  said  before,  that  God  by  many  signs 
had  clearly  manifested  his  wish  to  conduct  his 
servant  by  ways  out  of  the  usual  course,  and 
therefore  had  given  her  spirit  and  strength  to 
support  the  enormous  weight  of  the  most  ter- 
rible penances,  which  were  far  beyond  the  frailty 
of  human'nature  to  endure.  Father  Camaccio, 
her  confessor,  had  often  thought,  from  the  first 
time  he  undertook  the  direction  of  her  soul,  to 
forbid  her,  under  virtue  of  obedience,  the  prac- 
tice of  such  cruel  austerity  towards  herself;  but 
he  confessed  that  he  had  always  been  prevented, 
and  that,  guided  by  some  secret  inspiration,  he 
had  suddenly  changed  his  mind;  so  that  he 
could  do  no  more  than  occasionally  moderate 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  93 


their  rigour,  especially  in  time  of  sickness. 
Her  relatives  also,  being  afraid  that  they  would 
lose  her  in  a  short  time,  complained  bitterly, 
and  exhorted  her  to  put  bounds  to  her  immo- 
derate fervour,  as  it  seemed  to  them;  but  after- 
wards, seeing  there  could  be  no  doubt  but  that 
God  concurred  miraculously  to  support  her,  no 
longer  dared  to  make  any  opposition. 

For  the  purpose  of  exciting  in  herself  that 
imjilacable  hatred  against  her  body,  Mary  Ann 
availed  herself  of  the  thought  of  death,  which 
she  had  continually  present.  Among  the  other 
articles,  with  wliicli  her  new  apartment  was  pro- 
vided, there  was,  as  we  said  before,  a  coffin.  It 
contained  a  wooden  skeleton,  dressed  in  the  poor 
habit  of  a  Franciscan,  having  for  a  head,  a  real 
human  skull.  It  was  exposed  in  the  middle  of 
tlic  first  room,  with  a  small  crucifix -upon  its 
breast,  and  with  two  candles,  which  were  always 
kept  burning.  Before  this  lively  image  of 
death  the  blessed  soul  passed  long  hours  in  pro- 
found meditation,  considering  the  shortness  of 
life,  the  vanity  of  the  things  of  the  world,  and 
the  state  to  which  she  would  be  reduced  after 
death :  and  hence  she  animated  herself  to  greater 
fervour  and  contempt  of  herself.     The  mcdita- 


94  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


tion  being  over,  which  was  always  new  to  her, 
she  rose  to  her  feet,  and  sprinkling  the  skeleton 
with  holy  water,  she  said,  "  May  God  forgive 
you,  Mary  Ann  :  which  of  the  two  will  be  your 
lot — death  eternal,  or  life  everlasting?"  She 
repeated  the  same  words  every  time  she  left  or 
entered  her  apartment,  and  prayed  those  who 
very  rarely  came  to  visit  her  to  do  the  same, 
telling  them,  that  she  was  the  dead  person  there 
exposed.  At  night  she  never  went  to  take  her 
brief  repose,  before  sprinkling  the  skeleton  with 
holy  water,  repeating  always  the  same  words. 
Besides  this,  she  caused  a  small  picture  to  be 
painted,  representing  the  head  of  a  young  lady, 
one  half  of  whose  face  was  fresh,  handsome  and 
pleasing,  and  the  other  half  disfigured,  putrid, 
and  full  of  vermin.  She  kept  it  suspended  from 
the  wall,  near  her  own  room ;  and  in  it,  as  in  a 
mirror,  contemplating  the  frailty  of  all  exterior 
beauty,  she  drew  fresh  courage  to  beautify  her 
soul  eveiy  day  with  the  garb  of  virtue,  and  to 
maltreat  her  body,  which  would  one  day  be  re- 
duced to  a  mass  of  worms  and  corruption. 

For  many  years  she  observed,  with  the  great- 
est exactness,  the  order  prescribed  for  the  dif- 
ferent actions  of  the  day,  in  the  distribution  of 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  95 


time  which  she  gave  to  Father  Caraaccio,  her 
first  confessor.  In  it  were  assigned,  counting 
the  day  and  night,  five  hours  for  mental  prayer, 
two  disciplines,  hair-shirts  every  day,  and  four 
hours  only  reserved  for  sleep.  Her  fervour  in- 
creasing with  her  years,  slie  sketched  with  her 
own  hand  another  form  of  life,  which,  after  it 
was  approved  of  by  Brother  Ferdinand  della 
Croce,  her  spiritual  director,  she  continued  to 
observe  to  her  death.  I  shall  faithfully  trans- 
scribe  it  here,  taking  it  from  the  juridical  pro- 
cess, where  it  was  inserted  word  for  word;  and 
it  is  as  follows : — 

"  At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  will  get  up, 
and  take  the  discipline,  kneeling  down,  and  1 
will  return  thanks  to  the  Lord,  and  recall  to 
mind  the  points  of  my  meditation  on  the  passion 
of  Jesus  Christ.  From  four  o'clock  to  half-past 
five,  mental  prayer.  From  half-past  five  till  six, 
reflection :  I  will  put  on  my  hair-shirts  and  re- 
cite the  canonical  hours  as  far  as  none ;  I  will 
make  my  general  and  particular  examens,  and 
go  to  the  church.  From  half-past  six  to  seven, 
I  will  go  to  confession.  From  seven  to  eight, 
during  the  time  of  one  mass,  I  will  prepare  the 
dwelling-place  iu  my  heart  for  the  reception  of 


96  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


my  Spouse.  After  receiving  him,  I  will  return 
thanks  to  the  Eternal  Father  for  having  given 
me  his  Son,  and  offer  him  up  to  him,  asking 
many  graces  in  return.  From  eight  to  nine,,l 
will  pray  to  gain  the  indulgences  for  the  souls 
in  purgatory.  From  nine  to  ten,  I  will  recite 
the  five  mysteries  of  the  Eosary  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary-  At  ten,  during  the  time  of  one 
mass,  I  will  recommend  myself  to  my  patron 
saints;  but  on  Sundays  and  Festivals,  1  will 
continue  this  exercise  till  eleven.  After  this,  if 
I  stand  in  need  of  it,  I  will  take  some  refresh- 
ment. At  two  in  the  afternoon,  I  will  recite 
vespers,  and  make  the  general  and  particular 
examen.  From  two  to  five,  some  manual  labour, 
raising  my  heart  to  God.  making  frequent  acts 
of  love.  From  five  to  six,  spiritual  reading; 
and  I  will  say  complin.  From  six  to  nine,  men- 
tal prayer,  renewing  the  presence  of  God  with 
more  attention.  From  nine  to  ten,  I  will  leave 
my  room  to  go  and  get  a  glass  of  water,  and 
take  some  little  and  allowable  recreation.  From 
ten  to  twelve,  mental  prayer.  At  midnight,  the 
life  of  some  saint,  as  my  spiritual  reading,  for 
an  hour ;  after  that,  1  will  say  matins.  From 
an  hour  after  midnight  to  four  o'clock,  I  will 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  97 


take  my  repose,  Triclays  upon  my  cross,  the 
other  nights  upon  my  ladder;  and  before  going 
to  take  any  rest,  I  Mill  first  take  the  discipline. 
In  time  of  Advent  and  Lent,  on  Mondays,  Wed- 
nesdays, and  Fridays,  I  Avill  make  my  prayer 
from  ten  to  twelve  at  night,  on  the  cross.  On 
Fridays,  I  will,  moreover,  place  peas  in  my  shoes, 
wear  a  crown  made  of  thistles,  and  wrap  a  band- 
age, made  of  the  same  material,  six  times  round 
my  body ;  and  I  will  fast  the  whole  week,  with- 
out tasting  a  morsel  of  any  thing.  On  Sundays, 
I  will  take  an  ounce  of  bread ;  and  every  day 
communicate  with  the  grace  of  God." 

From  this  minute  distribution  of  hours,  every 
one  sees  that  Mary  Ann  had  not  a  moment  of 
time  left,  that  was  not  spent  either  in  praising 
God,  or  mortifying  herself.  The  routine  of  her 
life  consisted  in  lengthy  prayers,  short  and 
broken  sleep,  rigid  fasts  continued  for  whole 
weeks,  frequent  disciplines,  daily  hair-shirts, 
and  other  strange  penitential  contrivances.  If 
we  were  not  certain  that  in  all  this  she  was 
manifestly  guided  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  we 
would  be  at  a  loss  to  discover  how  to  excuse 
her  of  a  want  of  moderation.  And  yet,  she  not 
only  persevered  constantly  for  so  many  years  in 


\ 


98  MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS. 


this  rio-orons  course  of  life,  without  any  aljate- 
ment,  except  sometimes  when  commanded  by  her 
confessor,  but  so  great  was  the  insatiable  desire 
which  she  had  of  suffering,  that  she  often  took 
occasion  to  add  more  and  more  to  her  austeri- 
ties. A  bit  of  paper  was  found  after  her  death, 
on  which  slie  wrote  thus  to  her  confessor: 
"  Father,  should  it  please  your  Reverence  to 
give  me  permission,  I  would  like  to  increase  the 
ordinary  penances  this  Advent.  I  will  use  my 
cross  every  night  from  six  to  seven  o'clock;  and 
on  Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Fridays,  put  peas 
in  my  shoes.  Take  the  discipline  every  night 
at  eleven,  one  and  four  in  the  morning.  Use 
bandages  of  thistles  every  day;  and  a  rough 
covering,  made  of  cords  of  bristles  also,  to  ma- 
cerate tlie  arms  and  thighs,  and  a  pointed  iron 
chain  with  four  rows  of  links,  for  the  sides ;  and 
this,  with  the  grace  of  God,  from  the  Vigil  of 
All  Saints  to  Easter.  As  to  my  fasts,  I  will 
follow  the  rule  which  my  spiritual  Father  left 
me,  of  taking  food  only  when  necessity  compels. 
Father,  let  your  Reverence  determine  whether 
or  not  I  have  to  practise  any  of  these  things 
over  and  above  what  has  "been  prescribed  me. 
Let  your  Reverence  consult  his  Divine  Majesty, 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  99 


who  will  suggest  what  is  pleasing  to  him ;  mean- 
while, I  do  not  desire  aught  than  that  Mary  Ann 
may  be  perfectly  agreeable  in  the  eyes  of  his 
Divine  Majesty;  and  the  Lord  grant,  tliat  this 
be  to  his  greater  glory."  This  was  signed  with 
her  own  hand. 

But  to  descend  more  to  particulars  in  this 
matter.  Mary  Ann  was  in  the  habit,  for  many 
years,  of  scourging  herself  five  times  every  day, 
counting  day  and  night  together;  and  she  would 
have  exceeded  this  number  of  times,  had  she  not 
been  restrained  by  her  confessor.  She  used 
different  sorts  of  instruments,  such  as  small 
cords  knotted  together,  or  with  little  stars  of 
steel  attached  to  the  end ;  chains,  with  hooks 
and  iron  points;  little  bundles  of  sharp  and 
stinging  grass.  Her  manner  was  without  any 
moderation,  or  compassionate  regard  for  herself; 
fervour,  not  time,  was  her  regulator ;  and  with 
such  a  strength  of  arm,  that  the  walls  and  pave- 
ment around  her  were  sprinkled  with  the  blood 
from  her  mangled  flesh.  In  order  to  conceal 
from  the  eyes  of  others  the  marks  of  blood 
which  were  every  day  increased,  she  would  call 
her  youngest  nieces,  and  beg  them  to  assist  her 
to  wash  the  walls  and  pavement  with  hot  water. 


100  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


But  afterwards,  being  afraid  that  they  come  to 
know  at  last  the  true  cause  of  so  much  blood 
being  scattered  about,  she  no  longer  availed 
herself  of  their  assistance,  but  of  some  servants 
of  the  house,  to  whom  she  also  secretly  gave  her 
blood-stained  clothes  to  be  washed, 

Ampng  these  servants,  there  was  one  by  the 
name  of  Catharine,  who  far  surpassed  all  the 
rest  in  stupidity  and  rudeness.     She  had  very 
little  understanding,   but  was  a  simple,  good- 
natured  creature,  and  therefore  just  the  one  to 
suit  Mary  Ann's  purposes,  who  proposed  to  make 
use  of  her,  not  only  to  conceal,  but  increase  the 
rigours  of  her  penance.     Having  called  her  one 
day  to  come  to  her,  she  put  a  discipline  in  her 
hand,  asking  her,  for  the  love  of  God,  to  do  her 
the  favour  of  assisting  her  to  scourge  herself. 
Catharine,  stupid  as  she  was,  refused  at  first  to 
do  it,  saying  that  she  could  never  be  induced  to 
strike  her  own  mistress.     But  the  other  used  so 
many  reasons,  prayers,  and  supplications,  that 
at  last,  offering  violence  to  her  own  feelings, 
she  was  persuaded  to  humour  her,  thinking  she 
was  doing  her  a  favour.     After  this,  Mary  Ann 
took  her  every  day  to  her  room,  and  modestly 
uncovering  her  shoulders,  submitted  them  to 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  101 


Catliarinc's  blows.  AVlicn  this  had  been  done 
for  some  time,  the  good  Indian  one  day,  moved 
to  pity,  threw  the  discipline  down,  and  asked 
her  mistress  leave  to  depart,  as  she  had  not 
courage  to  continue  that  cruel  torture.  Bnt  the 
servant  of  God,  far  from  showing  herself  satis- 
fied, became  more  earnest  in  her  petitions  to  her 
to  continue,  without  any  regard  for  her;  and 
when  entreaties  would  not  succeed,  she  had  re- 
course to  very  ingenious  arguments,  telling  her 
to  be  under  no  fear  of  doing  her  harm,  as  she 
perhaps  believed.  On  the  contrary,  that  by 
complying  with  her  wishes,  she  would  procure 
her  the  greatest  possible  good,  by  assisting  her 
to  acquire  more  merits  in  this  life,  and  conse- 
quently to  reach  a  higher  degree  of  glory  in 
paradise,  where,  once  arrived,  she  would  re- 
member her  as  having  been  formerly  the  instru- 
ment and  cause  of  such  happiness.  These 
reasons,  urged  by  her  in  a  suppliant  and  en- 
dearing manner,  were  sufficient  to  induce  the 
obtuse  Catharine  to  continue  without  mercy  the 
cruel  butchery,  and  to  renew  it  every  day,  at  the 
discretion  and  pleasure  of  her  young  mistress. 

In  consequence  of  this  severe  and  continued 
ill-treatment,  which  Mary  Ann  either  inflicted 

9* 


102  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


on  herself  or  by  the  hands  of  others,  her  shoul- 
ders were  almost  always  covered  with  wounds : 
nor  did  she  cease,  therefore,  to  re-open  and 
irritate  the  old  wounds  every  day  by  fresh  ones. 
And  in  order  that  all  sense  of  pain  might  not  be 
deadened  by  frequent  repetition,  in  place  of 
disciplines  she  substituted  hair-cloths,  which 
were  like  the  bandages  they  use  to  dress  in- 
cisions opened  in  the  flesh  by  whips.  More 
than  thirty  of  these  instruments  of  torture  were 
found  in  her  apartment  after  her  death,  and  the 
whole  of  them  were  frightful  to  look  at,  both  on 
account  of  the  material,  and  the  way  they  were 
made.  Some  of  them  were  woven  of  rough 
bristles,  others  of  sharp  thistles,  some,  again, 
were  like  a  coat  of  mail,  studded  with  sharp 
iron  points.  There  was  no  part  of  her  body, 
we  may  say,  to  which  she  did  not  apply  some 
special  torture.  For  the  head  she  had  two 
crowns — one  of  thistles,  and  the  other  of  iron, 
armed  with  sharp  points ;  and  she  wore  some- 
times one,  and  sometimes  the  other,  but  in  such 
a  manner  as  not  to  be  visible.  For  this  pur- 
pose, when  her  head  was  shaved,  she  left  in 
front  two  long  locks  of  hair,  and  with  them  she 
strove  to  cover  over  and  hide  the  crown  from 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  103 


tlic  eyes  of  others.  She  was  not,  however, 
always  successful ;  for  the  l)lood  oozing  from 
the  wounds  of  her  head,  and  trickling  down  her 
face,  betrayed  her.  Thus,  it  happened,  for 
instance,  when  her  nieces  and  some  ladies  once 
entered  her  apartment  to  take  her  with  them 
to  church,  she  came  out  with  her  face  covered 
■with  many  and  small  drops  of  fresh  blood, 
which  ran  from  under  her  hair.  The  ladies, 
friglitened  at  the  sight,  anxiously  enquired  the 
cause;  and  she,  modestly  blushing,  without  an- 
swering a  word,  immediately  re-entered  her 
chamber,  and  after  effacing  the  spots,  returned 
with  a  smiling  countenance,  as  if  nothing  at  all 
was  the  matter.  She  had  also  two  instruments 
of  torture  made  like  a  jacket  with  sleeves — one 
of  rough  bristles,  the  other  of  little  cords,  with 
points  of  iron ;  but  this  last  she  was  not  per- 
mitted to  wear,  except  on  Fridays,  and  on  the 
vigils  of  the  festivals  of  her  patron  saints, 
which  were  many  in  the  course  of  the  year. 
Not  unfrequently,  she  used  to  wear  a  dress  like- 
wise armed  with  sharp  points,  which  extended 
from  her  neck  almost  down  to  her  very  feet. 
The  pain  which  it  caused  her  was  intolerable, 
being  unable  either  to  move,  sit,  or  kneel,  with- 


104  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


out  being  stung  and  piorced  in  every  part  of  her 
body.  Around  her  neck,  and  extending  over 
her  breast,  she  was  accustomed  sometimes  to 
wind  an  iron  chain  studded  with  sharp  points  in 
four  distinct  folds.  For  her  arms,  besides  the 
bandages  mentioned  before,  she  had  two  sleeves 
interwoven  with  sharp  thistles;  two  little  chains 
of  iron  for  each  arm,  or  little  cords  of  bristles, 
which  were  tied  so  tightly  round  the  flesh,  that 
for  a  long  time  afterwards  the  arm  remained  so 
benumbed,  that  she  lost  all  use  of  it.  To  tor- 
ment her  sides,  she  used  not  less  than  fifteen  in- 
struments of  torture,  of  various  forms,  and  all 
of  the  roughest  description.  Ten  of  them, 
although  worn  out,  from  tlie  long  use  made  of 
them,  were  taken  away  from  her  by  her  con- 
fessor, because  they  were  too  excessively  pain- 
ful. Finally,  she  covered  the  inside  soles  of 
her  shoes  with  a  coating  of  wax,  and  then  in- 
serted in  it  small  stones,  or  dried  peas;  and 
these  she  used  every  Monday,  Wednesday,  and 
Friday  of  the  week,  going  and  returning  from 
her  home  to  the  church,  and  suffering,  at  every 
step,  the  most  excruciating  pains  in  the  soles  of 
her  feet. 

She  could  not  certainly  employ,  at  the  same 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS^.  105 


time,  all  these  dreadful  instruments  of  penance ; 
nevertheless,  those  of  every  day  were  such,  and 
so  numerous,  that  were  we  not  certain  that  she 
was  directed  and  supported  in  a  special  manner 
by  God,  who  wished  to  give  to  the  world  in  this 
his  servant  an  admirable  example  of  innocence 
and  austerity,  we  could  not  excuse  her  of  indis- 
cretion and  the  height  of  excess.  Catharine, 
the  Indian  servant,  wlio  had  the  best  opportu- 
nity of  knowing  her,  testified  on  oath,  in  the 
juridical  process,  that  she  was  in  the  habit  of 
using  every  day  not  less  than  nine  of  these  in- 
struments of  torture,  sometimes  many,  or  all,  at 
the  same  time,  and  again  changing  them  in  rou- 
tine, in  order  to  feel  the  pain  more  sensibly  by 
the  variety  and  change  of  torture.  And  Father 
Fra.  Girolamo  de  Paredes,  a  Religious  of  the 
holy  order  of  St.  Francis,  and  brother  to  Mary 
Ann,  was  accustomed  to  say  that  his  sister 
always  carried  about  her  person  more  than 
twenty  pounds  of  iron ;  so  many  were  the  hair- 
shirts,  the  chains,  big  and  little,  and  the  other 
implements  of  penance  with  which,  we  may  say, 
her  whole  body  was  bound  and  laced.  And  yet 
she  was  of  a  very  weak  and  delicate  constitu- 
tion, and  often  afflicted  with  severe  and  painful 


106  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


diseases,  "which,  especially  in  the  last  eight  years 
of  her  life,  were  accompanied  with  the  most 
acute  pains.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  she  never 
abated  the  smallest  particle  of  her  daily  austeri- 
ties, except  when  she  was  obliged  to  take  to 
her  bed,  or  compelled,  by  order  of  her  confessor. 
Besides  her  ordinary  mortifications,  she  had 
her  extraordinary  ones  for  certain  days  and 
times;  which  only  her  ardent  and  never-satiated 
love  of  suffering  could  have  suggested  to  her 
mind.  Being  tenderly  devoted,  as  she  was,  to 
the  passion  of  Jesus  Christ,  she  studied  by  all 
means  possible  to  copy  in  herself  the  dreadful 
pains  and  suflferiugs  which  the  Redeemer  un- 
derwent whilst  here  on  earth  for  our  salvation. 
Not  content  with  what  she  had  undertaken  to  do 
from  her  childhood  upon  every  Friday  of  the 
year — which  day  was  consecrated  in  a  special 
manner  to  the  memory  of  the  passion  of  Christ, 
and  which  we  have  already  related — from  the 
time  she  began  to  lead  a  solitary  life,  she  gave 
full  scope  to  her  fervour  and  love,  adding  other 
unusual  and  painful  austerities.  She  caused  a 
huge  cross  of  wood  to  be  made,  and  fastened  at 
the  extremities  of  its  arms  and  foot  a  certain 
number  of   loops,   something    like    handcuffs, 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  107 


formed  of  cords  made  of  very  rough  and  slender 
bristles;  and  Iiaving  fastened  it  securely  to  the 
"wall,  she  crucilicd  herself  upon  it  every  Friday 
of  the  year.  Having  first  put  on  the  crown  of 
iron  armed  with  sharp  points,  she  approached 
the  cross  with  the  greatest  reverence,  and  get- 
ting upon  a  little  stool,  she  first  fastened  the  few 
locks  of  hair,  which  we  mentioned  she  had  left 
on  the  front  part  of  her  head  to  conceal  the 
crown,  to  some  little  cords  hanging  from  the 
top  of  the  cross ;  after  this,  with  considerable 
difficulty,  she  inserted  first  the  hands,  and  then 
the  feet,  into  the  loops  of  thistle  bristles,  and 
pushing  away  the  stool  from  under  her  feet,  she 
remained  suspended,  with  the  whole  weight  of 
her  body  supported  by  these  five  bands,  and  in 
this  state  she  continued  two  and  three  hours  at 
a  time,  absorbed  in  God,  and  meditating  the 
passion  of  her  heavenly  Spouse.  Afterwards, 
in  time  of  Lent  and  Advent,  besides  Fridays, 
she  placed  herself  upon  the  cross  also  on  Mon- 
days and  Wednesdays ;  and  very  often  on  Satur- 
days, to  commemorate  the  dolours  of  the  Most 
Blessed  Virgin.  What  is  more,  whilst  she  hung 
thus  suspended,  she  entreated  her  servant  Ca- 
tharine, as  a  great  favour,  to  press  hard  upon 


108  MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


and  force  down  the  crown ;  and  the  consequence 
was,  her  head  became,  as  it  were,  one  wound, 
and  the  bristles  encircling  the  ancles  and  wrists 
being  drawn  tighter,  broke  tlie  skin,  and  tore 
the  flesh.  Her  strength  was  completely  ex- 
hausted under  this  dreadful  torture,  and  as  her 
servant  Catharine  attested,  she  was  unable  to 
move,  much  less  to  stand  upon  her  feet,  for  many 
hours  afterwards. 

But  the  more  she  suffered,  the  more  she  al- 
ways desired  to  suffer  to  become  more  and  more 
conformable  to  the  image  of  her  crucified  Sa- 
viour. She  would  have  wished  to  give  her  life 
and  blood  in  testimony  and  token  of  her  love ; 
and  therefore  not  being  satisfied  with  lacerating 
her  flesh  with  so  many  instruments  of  penance, 
once  a  week,  and  if  she  could,  on  Fridays,  under 
pretence  that  her  frequent  maladies  required  it, 
she  caused  them  to  open  a  vein  and  bleed  her. 
But  whatever  pretence  she  alleged,  those  of  the 
house  knew  very  well,  that  it  was  nothing  else 
than  a  desire  of  shedding  her  blood  for  Jesus 
Christ.  Nor  could  she  herself,  although  very 
cautious  and  guarded,  on  more  occasions  than 
one  conceal  it,  the  joy  and  delight  which  she  felt 
were  visible  upon  her  face.   It  happened  on  one 


MAEY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  109 


occasion  when  the  surguou  had  performed  the 
operation,  and  ■was  abont  closing  the  vein  l)y 
bandaging  tlie  arm,  Mary  Ann  being  suddenly 
seized  by  one  of  those  transports  of  love,  Avith 
Avhich  her  soul  was  inflamed,  drawing  back  her 
arm.,  begged  liim  to  allow  her  ignoble  and 
worthless  blood  to  flow,  since  Jesus  Christ,  lier 
spouse,  had  shed  his  own  most  precious  blood 
in  much  greater  quantity  for  such  a  miserable 
sinner  as  she  was.  When  afterwards  this  oc- 
curred on  Good-Friday,  the  joy  she  felt  was 
indescribable.  Having  been  attacked  one  year 
by  a  fever  on  that  day,  the  attending  physician 
ordered  her  to  be  bled.  The  announcement 
visibly  affected  her,  and,  unable  to  restrain  tlie 
ardour  of  her  joy,  she  exclaimed — let  infinite 
thanks  be  given  to  God,  who  has-  deigned  to 
allow  me  on  this  day  to  shed  a  small  quantity 
of  blood.  The  fiict  would  be  incredible,  were 
it  not  certified  in  tlie  process  by  several  ocular 
witnesses  and  persons  of  standing :  viz.,  that  in 
little  over  a  year  she  was  bled  one  hundred  and 
sixty  times.  The  family  marvelled,  and  the 
physicians  and  surgeons  were  still  more' aston- 
ished; and  they  declared,  that,  according  to  the 
laws  of  nature,  it  was  impossible,  considering 

10 


110  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


tlie  scantiness  of  the  diet  whicli  Mary  Ann,  as 
wc  saw,  was  accustomed  to  take  every  eight  or 
fifteen  days,  such  an  abundance  of  blood  should 
be  produced. 

And  that  God  really  was  the  agent  here,  was 
plainly  to  be  seen  from  many  signs  and  prodi 
gies.  Martino  dclla  Pegna,  a  learned  physicia.ii 
and  a  man  of  known  probity,  made  an  agree- 
ment with  Mary  Ann,  that  he  would  cure  in  her 
the  'maladies  which  afflicted  her  body,  provided 
she  would  obtain  of  Almighty  God,  by  her 
prayers,  a  cure  for  a  depression  of  spirits  under 
which  he  laboured.  Having  obtained  the  favour 
for  which  he  had  asked,  it  cannot  be  expressed 
with  what  care  and  solicitude  he  applied  him- 
self to  her  every  want.  Having  paid  her  a  visit 
one  day,  and  it  was  the  Good-Friday  of  1645, 
he  found  her  with  sucli  a  burning  fever  that  he 
judged  it  necessary  for  her  to  be  bled ;  and 
without  waiting  for  a  surgeon,  he  himself,  on 
the  spot,  opened  a  vein.  But  what  was  hig 
sui'prise,  when  he  saw  a  thin  stream  of  clear  and 
limpid  water  first  spirt  fi  om  the  incision,  and 
then  after  some  time  fresh  blood  follow?  As 
tonished  at  the  novelty  of  the  thing,  he  could 
not  refrain  from  saying,  Miss,  such  a  thing  as 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  HI 


this  never  happened  except  in  the  side  of  tlie 
Redeemer.  Mnvy  Ann  made  him  no  answer; 
find  only  a  modest  blush  sufl'uscd  her  face.  When 
the  vein  was  closed,  a  small  fleshy  excrescence 
was  formed  in  tlio  scar,  which  protruded  like 
the  head  of  a  nail;  and  it  lasted  till  her  death, 
causing  her  a  severe  pain,  as  if  something  sharp 
was  always  piercing  her  arm  in  that  particular 
spot.  D.  Maria  della  Rosa  was  present,  to- 
gether with  several  other  ladies,  and  having  a 
great  opinion  of  Mary  Ann's  sanctity,  unseen  by 
any  one,  dipped  her  linen  handkerchief  in  the 
blood,  which  seemed  to  her  miraculous,  and 
when  she  Avas  returned  to  her  own  home,  wished 
to  see  it;  but  to  her  great  surprise,  she  per- 
ceived her  handkerchief  just  as  white  and  clean 
as  when  it  first  came  from  the  wash. 

The  blessed  servant  of  God  having  discovered 
that  some  persons  sought  after  her  blood  to 
preserve  it,  gave  orders  to  her  Indian  servant, 
Catharine,  that  whenever  she  was  bled  she 
should  throw  the  blood  in  the  garden  attached 
to  the  house,  that  the  earth  might  absorb  every 
trace  of  it.  The  servant  complied  in  part  with 
her  orders,  but  not  entirely;  because  having 
dug  a  little  hole  in  a  distant  and  less  frequented 


112  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


corner,  she  regularly  deposited  in  it  her  mis- 
tress' blood,  and  then  closed  the  mouth  of  the 
hole  with  a  stone.  After  some  time  her  curiosity 
was  excited  to  know  how  it  was  preserved  there; 
and  with  a  little  stick  in  her  hand  she  began  to 
stir  the  blood  in  the  hole,  and  found  it  as  fresh 
and  uncorrupt  as  if  it  had  just  been  extracted 
from  the  vein.  Surprised  at  this,  and  hardly 
believing  her  own  eyes,  she  returned  very  often, 
and  at  different  times  and  years,  to  try  the  same 
experiment,  and  always  found  the  blood  per- 
fectly pure ;  wherefore  full  of  wonder,  she  could 
not  refrain  from  telling  her  mistress  of  it,  with 
her  usual  simplicity,  who  gave  her  no  other  an- 
swer than  these  words:  ''Blessed  be  the  Lord; 
that  the  blood  of  Mary  Ann,  a  sinner,  remains 
without  Ijeing  corrupted.  This  prodigy  con- 
tinued till  after  Mary  Ann's  death :  or  rather 
God  then  confirmed  it  by  another  more  singular 
and  remarkable  prodigy,  which  we  will  give  in 
its  proper  place. 


MART  ANN   OF   JESUS.  113 


CHAPTER  YII. 

THE  EXTRAORDINARY  RIGOUR  PRACTISED  BY  THE 
BLESSED  MARY  ANN,  IN  THE  SHORT  SLEEP  WHICH 
SHE  TOOK  DURING  THE  NIGHT.  DESCRIPTION  OF 
HER  ORDINARY  AND  EXTRAORDINARY  BEDS.  HER 
WONDERFUL  ABSTINENCE  FROM  EVERY  KIND  OF 
FOOD,  PROLONGED  FROM  EIGHT  TO  FIFTEEN  DAYS 
IN  SUCCESSION,  AND  RENDERED  MORE  PAINFUL 
BY  AN  HEROIC  EXERCISE  OP  MORTIFICATION. 

This  did  not  put  an  end  to  the  evil  treatment 
with  which  this  fervent  virgin  afflicted  lier  in- 
nocent body  during  the  whole  course  of  her  life. 
Besides  the  torments  which  we  have  already 
recounted,  she  added  this  of  inflicting  pain  upon 
herself  during  the  night,  curtailing  her  repose, 
and  by  a  thousand  artifices  and  inventions,  and 
depriving  herself  of  every  necessary  sustenance 
by  a  strict  fast  prolonged  for  days  and  weeks. 

And  in  the  first  place,  as  regards  her  sleep, 
she  had  assigned  in  her  distribution  of  time  but 
three  hours  of  the  night;  and  she  gradually 
diminished  it  afterwards  so  much,  that,  as  Fathcx 

10* 


114  MARY    ANN    OF   JESUS. 


Camaccio  her  confessor  attested,  she  reduced  to 
one  hour  only.  But  I  am  at  a  loss  to  say  whe- 
ther that  brief  space  of  time,  which  she  gave 
from  necessity  to  repose,  strictly  speaking,  de- 
serves the  name  of  sleep,  and  not  rather  that  of 
a  prolonged  torture.  She  had  in  one  of  her 
rooms  a  little  bed,  poor  it  is  true,  but  neat  and 
kept  in  good  order,  which  served  only  for  the 
purpose  of  concealing  her  rigid  austerities  from 
the  eyes  of  others.  She  never  used  it  unless 
when  compelled  by  obedience  of  her  confessor, 
or  in  case  only  of  severe  indisposition.  The 
ordinary  bed,  however,  on  which  she  lay  was  a 
ladder  of  a  triangular  form,  with  the  bars  not 
rounded,  but  made  rough,  shapeless  and  pointed. 
One  evening  her  Indian  servant,  Catharine, 
being  left  alone  in  her  room,  chanced  to  see  this 
strange  bed,  which  had  been  drawn  out  from  its 
place  of  concealment,  where  her  mistress  gen- 
erally kept  it  during  the  day,  and  whicli  now 
stood  prepared  for  use  in  her  room ;  and  wish- 
ing to  know  with  what  convenience  one  could  lie 
upon  it,  stretched  herself  upon  it  at  full  length. 
In  this  position  Mary  Ann  unexpectedly  sur- 
prised her,  and  with  a  sweet  smile  said  to  her — 
"  Ah,  welly's  my  bed  soft  and  nice  enough  for 


MARY    ANN    OF   JESUS.  115 


you?"  To  whom  the  servant,  witli  her  usual 
simplicity,  replied — "  It  is  a  real  instrument  oC 
torture,  and  my  bones  arc  already  aching,  al 
though  I  was  on  it  only  for  a  moment:  and  yon 
my  Lady,  can  you  really  sleep  upon  this  dreadful 
rack  ?"  "  Yes,"  "  replied  the  servant  of  God,  "  1 
sleep  upon  it;  I  tell  you,  moreover,  that  this  is 
one  of  Mary  Ann's  dcliglits.  Wc  have  to  do 
and  suffer  some  little  thing  in  order  to  merit 
and  gain  heaven:  and  when  I  consider  the  im- 
mensity that  my  Divine  Spouse  has  done  and 
suffered  for  me,  what  I  do  and  suffer  for  him 
appears  to  me  as  nothing." 

But  this  ladder  caused  her  no  little  suffering 
during  the  whole  course  of  her  life.  To  D.  Gio- 
vanna,  her  niece,  to  whom  her  confessor  once 
obliged  her  to  give  an  account  of  her  interiour, 
she  candidly  confessed,  tliat  of  an  evening,  when 
she  was  about  to  extend  herself  upon  the  ladder, 
her  heart  was  so  oppressed,  and  she  felt  such  a 
repugnance  and  horror,  that  not  unfrequentl}' 
she  fell  into  violent  swoons  and  deadly  sweats. 
At  the  thought  alone,  that  upon  that  hard  bed 
she  would  never  be  able  to  close  an  eye,  and 
that  she  would  rise  from  it  with  her  body  all 
bruised  and  pained,  and  this  not  for  one  or  two 


116  MARY   ANN    OP   JESUS. 


i lights,  but  for  tlie  rest  of  her  days,  as  long  as 
she  had  health  and  strength,  she  said  she  felt, 
ovcry  time,  as  if  she  were  seized  by  the  agonies 
of  death ;  so  great  was  the  repugnance  of  the 
flesh  to  the  spirit.  Notwithstanding  all  this, 
rather  than  succumb  or  yield  an  inch  to  her 
feelings,  she  became  more  generous  and  coura- 
geous to  blunt  her  every  emotion  of  natural  re- 
pugnance. The  more  she  felt  herself  assailed 
by  it,  the  more  violently  she  threw  herself  upon 
that  pile  of  wood,  and  rolling  herself  upon  it 
with  the  whole  weight  of  her  body,  she  spoke  in 
a  loud  voice  to  herself,  "  Aha,  Mary  Ann,  do 
you  feel  uneasiness  and.  pain  upon  this  bed? 
Complain  as  much  as  you  please :  your  Spouse 
has  suffered  much  more  than  you.  Have  you  a 
feeling  of  pain  and  torment  ?  Enjoy  it  a  thou- 
sand times :  you  have  deserved  greater  chastise- 
ments for  your  sins."  Nor  was  she  yet  satis- 
^ed :  after  having  been  for  some  time  upon  the 
ladder,  she  got  up  and  wrapt  herself  in  a  kind 
of  thick  mat  made  of  bristles,  and  shaped  like  a 
bag,  the  inside  of  which  was  filled  with  small 
sharp  and  cutting  stones,  and  continuing  to  talk 
to  her  afflicted  body,  she  said  to  it,  "  Be  quiet 
now,  and  comfort  yourself:  you  were  anxious 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  117 


to  enjoy  delights,  ease,  and  soft  linen;  and  here 
is  every  thing  together,  in  this  covering  sheet, 
which  the  nicest  art  can  invent  for  your  con- 
venience. Wrap  yourself  well  up  in  it,  enjoy 
its  softness,  and  take  your  pleasure  till  you  are 
satisfied  in  the  convenience  of  the  bed  which 
you  desire."  In  this  manner  did  this  innocent 
and  delicate  young  girl  punish  in  herself  as 
faults  the  repugnance  which  was  but  natural. 
Let  so  many  delicate  and  effeminate  young  ladies 
look  upon  this  model  and  example,  and  be  con- 
founded, Avho  cannot  suffer  the  roughness  of  a 
dress,  the  puncture  of  a  needle,  and  whose 
whole  time  and  attention  is  taken  up  in  pam- 
pering and  caressing  their  body,  although  always 
o})posed  and  rebellious  to  the  spirit,  and  in 
shunning  the  sliehtest  suffering  and  the  most 
trifling  mortification.  And  yet,  without  this,  it 
is  very  difficult  to  keep  the  passions  in  subjec- 
tion, and  to  remove  the  obstacles  and  dangers 
which  are  to  be  met  with  in  the  way  of  salva- 
tion.    But  let  us  return  to  Mary  Ann. 

We  have  seen  what  was  her  ordinary  bed. 
She  had  also  extraordinary  ones,  for  certain 
times;  casting  herself,  often  in  t'le  depth  of 
winter,  to  sleep  upon  the  bare  g  ound,  with  a 


118  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


rough  piece  of  wood,  or  a  hard  stone,  under  her 
head  for  a  pillow,  and  stretching  herself  upon  a 
most  curious  instrument  of  torture  of  her  own 
invention,  which  was  transferred,  after  her  death, 
to  the  College  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  where  it  is  preserved  with  the  greatest 
veneration.    This  was  a  log  of  wood  sufficiently- 
large  and  of  a  round  form,  into  which  she  fast- 
ened one   hundred  and  seven  of  the  sharpest 
kind  of  thorns,  at  an  equal  distance  from  each 
other,  in  such  a  manner,  that  in  what  position 
soever  the  servant  of  God  would  lie,  she  was 
sure  to  have  her  flesh  cruelly  pierced  on  every 
Jide.     She  generally  lay  on  this  piece  of  torture 
every  Friday  of  tlie  year,  after  having  first  suf- 
fered  a   martyrdom  on   the   other,  which  was 
erect  and  standing  against  the  wall,  which  we 
have  already  described.  At  other  times,  carried 
away  by  the  violence  of  her  fervour,  she  would 
run  to  embrace  and  press  it  to  her  bosom,  tear- 
ing her  breast  with  the  thorns,  and  covering 
Ihe  log  with  the  blood  which  flowed  from  the 
rounds,  and  which,  for  many  years  after  her 
death,  remained  as  fresh  and  as  red  as  ever. 

She  used  also  to  go  and  sleep  in  the  coffin 
which  she  kept  in  her  apartment,  after  deposit- 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  119 


ing  the  skeleton  on  the  ground ;  as  also  to  ex- 
tend herself,  naked,  upon  a  bed  made  of  the 
stems  of  nettles.  This  she  called  her  soft  and 
delicious  bed;  and  such  it  was  in  reality  for 
the  soul,  for  which  sufferings,  both  interior  as 
well  as  exterior,  were  a  solace;  but  not  so  for 
the  body,  wliicli  left  tliat  bed  of  thorns  all 
pierced  and  bloody — for  in  that  part  of  South 
America,  the  nettles  are  not,  as  with  us,  a  small 
delicate  little  plant  with  a  slender  stem,  but 
they  grow  to  a  great  height,  and  have  long  and 
solid  trunks,  as  thick  as  a  man's  fist,  which 
shoot  out  strong  and  long  thorns  all  over  them. 
There  was  one  of  her  more  trusted  servants, 
who,  from  time  to  time,  as  she  received  orders, 
purchased  these  plants,  and  after  stripping  them 
of  their  leaves,  brought  by  night  the  naked  and 
thorny  stems  into  Mary  Ann's  I'ooms,  who  after- 
wards arranged  and  fixed  them  to  suit  herself. 
And  she  was  just  precisely  preparing,  one  even- 
ing, this  dreadful  bed  of  torture,  when,  believ- 
ing she  was  not  heard  by  any  one,  she  began  to 
talk  to  herself  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Well,  does 
Mary  Ann,  then,  wish  to  sleep  upon  a  soft  and 
convenient  bed?  Very  well.  I'll  give  her  the 
bed  which  she  deserves."    Catharine,  the  Indian 


120  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


servant,  was  in  the  next  room,  who,  hearing  lier 
mistress  talk  in  this  manner,  immediately  guess- 
ed what  it  was.  But,  without  this,  she  disco- 
vered it  many  times  the  next  morning,  when, 
being  obliged,  according  to  the  argreement  with 
Mary  Ann,  secretly  to  carry  away  these  things 
and  bury  them  under  ground  in  the  domestic 
garden,  she  found  them  all  crushed  and  be- 
smeared with  blood. 

Nor  was  the  abstinence  less  wonderful  and 
out  of  the  usual  course  of  nature,  whicli  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  practised  during  the 
whole  term  of  her  mortal  career.  All  the  wit- 
nesses who  testified  in  the  different  processes, 
agreed  in  saying,  that  God,  by  a  continued 
miracle,  preserved  the  life  of  his  servant  for 
more  than  twenty-six  years;  it  being  impossible 
that  nature  could,  without  the  aid  of  superna- 
tural help,  support  herself,  I  will  not  say  for  a 
year,  nor  a  month,  but  a  few  days  only,  on  such 
slight  and  scanty  nourishment,  which  might  be 
called  rather  the  appearance  than  a  substantial 
food.  We  have  seen  how,  whilst  she  was  still 
in  her  infancy,  and  a  little  girl  of  but  low  years, 
she  began  to  fast  with  such  rigour  that  fre- 
quently she  would  fall  into  mortal  swoons  and 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  121 


fainting  fits  from  extreme  weakness;  extending 
lier  fasts  to  twenty-four  hours  at  a  time,  without 
tasting  a  morsel  of  bread.  Nor  did  she  relax 
any  thing  of  her  fasts  as  she  advanced  in  years: 
on  the  contrary,  she  was  always  curtailing  and 
reducing  her  allowance  of  food.  She  had  hardly 
attained  the  use  of  reason  Avhen  she  abstained 
altogether  from  flcsli,  and  not  long  after  also 
from  any  thing  composed  either  of  milk  or  eggs, 
and  from  fish,  and  from  every  other  kind  of  fo(!id 
that  was  any  ways  substantial  or  delicate.  And 
in  this  she  was  so  constant  and  firm,  then  even 
in  her  severe  attacks  of  illness,  it  was  not  pos- 
sible to  induce  her  to  taste  any  other  food ;  the 
Almighty  concurring  in  a  wonderful  manner  to 
render  every  other  food  not  only  disagreeable 
to  the  taste,  but  injurious  to  the  stomach,  ex- 
cept what  was  her  ordinary  and  common  diet. 
Iler  confessors  very  often  commanded  her  to 
break  this  law  of  rigorous  fast  in  the  quality  as 
well  as  the  quantity  of  her  food :  and  she,  per- 
fectly obedient  to  their  wish,  acquired  the  full 
merit  of  obedience,  although  at  the  cost  of  un- 
speakable suffering,  for  she  was  never  able  to 
retain  upon  her  stomach  or  derive  any  suste- 
nance from  the  foods  prescribed  her :  the  conse- 


11 


122  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


quencu  was,  tlioj  liad  to  revoke  the  order,  in 
order  not  to  aggravate  lier  pains  and  afflictions, 
and  endanger  her  life. 

One  time  vrlien  she  was  sick.  Father  Mono- 
salvas,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  who  was  at  that 
time  her  confessor,  went  to  visit  her.  He  found 
her  very  emaciated  and  feeble;  and  believing 
this  arose  from  a  want  of  proper  nourishment, 
ordered  her,  on  the  spot,  to  take  three  fresh 
eggs.  The  Blessed  Mary  Ann,  with  the  true 
spirit  of  interiour  submission,  suppressing  every 
natural  repugnance,  without  oifering  a  word  of 
excuse,  in  the  presence  of  the  Father,  took  the 
eggs,  and  with  an  heroic  act  of  resignation 
swallowed  them  down,  although  she  foresaw  the 
excruciating  torture  which  they  would  undoubt- 
edly cause  her.  It  seemed,  however,  that  this 
time  she  would  be  able  to  retain  them,  and  that 
they  would  do  her  good ;  for  after  having  swal- 
lowed them  she  remained  perfectly  quiet  and 
calm :  and  Father  Monosalvas  returned  to  the 
college,  well  pleased  that  he  had  been  so  suc- 
cessful in  making  her  take  that  little  nourish- 
ment with  such  happy  result.  But  he  had  hardly 
set  his  foot  outside  the  house  before  the  servant 
of  God  was  immediately  seized  with   violent 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  123 


convulsions  and  dreadful  contortions  in  her 
stomach,  ^v■hich,  for  three  successive  days,  al- 
lowed her  nut  a  moment  of  rest  or  repose.  She 
could  without  doubt  easily  have  rid  herself  of 
her  misery  by  discharging  at  once  the  food  from 
her  stomach,  which  she  was  unable  to  digest, 
but  for  fear  of  being  wanting  in  obedience  she 
preferred  to  suffer  with  invincible  constancy 
this  lengthy  torment.  At  the  end  of  three  days 
her  confessor  returned  to  pay  her  another  visit; 
and  having  asked  her  aljout  the  state  of  her 
health,  she  told  him  plainly  of  the  great  suffer- 
ings she  had  endured  during  his  absence,  and 
humbly  asked  his  permission  to  vomit.  Having 
obtained  it,  she  immediately  thrcAv  up  the  yolks 
of  the  three  eggs  as  sound  and  entire  as  she  had 
taken  them  three  days  before,  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  all  present,  who  could  not  observe  the 
slightest  change  produced  on  them  by  the  action 
of  the  stomach  during  all  that  time. 

Another  time  a  plain  cup  of  chocolate  was  pre- 
sented to  her  by  a  lady,  an  intimate  friend.  She 
at  first  very  politely  declined  it;  but  being 
pressed  and  importuned  with  many  entreaties 
and  prayers,  was  at  length  induced  to  take  a 
few  sips.     And  behold,  at  that  very  instant  she 


124  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


is  assailed  with  acute  pains  in  her  bowels  and 
violent  contortions  in  her  stomach,  from  which 
she  is  only  relieved  after  throwing  up  with  much 
suffering  the  little  nourishment  she  tasted.  More 
singular  still  is  the  fact,  which  I  will  here  re- 
late, copying  it  faithfully  from  the  process.  D. 
Sebastiana  di  Casso  and  Catharine,  the  Indian 
servant,  both  of  whom  lodged  in  Mary  Ann's 
apartments,  made  an  agreement  one  day  together 
that  they  would  secretly  prepare  a  dish  a  little 
better  seasoned :  and  that  the  servant  of  God 
might  have  no  pretext  for  refusing  it,  they  nei- 
ther used  flesh,  fish  nor  milk  in  its  composition. 
They  then  made  a  savoury  ragout,  composed 
entirely  of  common  and  ordinary  herbs;  but 
with  such  precaution  that  it  was  the  same  in 
appearance  and  smell  as  the  ordinary  food  the 
Saint  was  accustomed  to  take.  The  simple  In- 
dian, however,  could  not  refrain  from  telling  her 
mistress  that  D.  Sebastiana  had  that  day  wished 
to  prepare  the  food  for  her.  To  whom  Mary 
Ann  smiling  replied — "  I  am  very  much  obliged 
to  her  for  her  charity ;  but  I  foresee  that  she 
will  make  it  such  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to 
taste  it."  Catharine  assured  her  that  the  food 
was  perfectly  Lenten,   and  that  it  contained 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  125 


nothing  of  those  things  which  slie  refused.  "  And 
yet,"  added  the  other,  "  you  will  see  that  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  take  it."  Both  of  them  came  to- 
gether, at  the  usual  hour,  into  Mary  Ann's  room, 
and  set  before  her  the  dish  of  herbs.  But  she 
had  no  sooner  seen  it  than  pushing  it  from  her 
with  horror — "Did  I  not  tell  you,"  she  exclaim- 
ed, '•  that  your  labour  would  be  useless  ?  Why 
do  you  wish  that  I  should  eat  meat  to-day,  when 
you  know,  that  both  on  account  of  the  law  of 
abstinence,  and  the  weakness  of  my  stomacli,  I 
cannot  taste  of  such  foods  ?"  At  these  words 
the  two  women  looked  at  each  other,  perfectly 
bewildered,  and  lost  in  amazement  at  the  novelty 
of  the  prodigy,  by  which,  at  that  very  instant, 
the  herbs  were  converted  into  flesh,  and  were  un- 
able to  utter  a  word.  From  this  they  were  finally 
convinced,  that  it  was  the  will  of  Almighty  God 
she  should  never  change  in  the  least  her  way  of 
abstinence :  and  the  consequence  was,  that  nei- 
ther they  nor  any  of  the  house,  not  even  her 
confessors  themselves,  ever  afterwards,  dared  to 
solicit  her  to  moderate  any  thing  of  her  rigour. 
Even  from  her  tender  years,  her  whole  diet 
consisted  of  a  very  small  quantity  of  cabbage 
boiled  simply  in  water,  and  without  any  season- 
al* 


126  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


iug,  not  even  salt.     When  she  was  eight  years 
of  age,  she  deprived  herself  also  of  this;  satis- 
fied to  support  herself  on  a  little  bread  and 
•water.     She  fasted  rigorously  three  days  in  th'e 
week,  and  on  all  the  vigil's  of  the  Most  Blessed 
Virgin  and  her  patron  saints.     Besides  the  or- 
dinary Lent  prescribed  by  the  Church,  which 
she  called  the  Fast  of  the  Holy  Passion,  she 
added  two  others  of  much  longer  duration — one 
from  Easter  to  Pentecost,  called  also,  by  her, 
the  Glorious  Fast ;  and  the  third,  from  the  vigil 
of  All  Saints   to  the  solemnity  of  Christmas. 
Durino;  all   this  time   she  took  but  a  limited 
allowance  of  bread  and  water,  and   this  only 
once   a   day.     When   she    had   completed   her 
eleventh  year,  she  carried  her  abstinence  so  far 
as  to  pass  four  entire  days,  from  the  AVednesday 
of  Holy  Week  to  noon  of  Easter  Sunday,  with- 
out food  or  drink.     Thenceforward,  as  if  all  her 
abstinence  heretofore  had  been  but  experiments 
of  childish  fervour,  she  fasted  so  vigorously, 
that,  as  we  find  it  recorded  in  the  juridical  pro- 
cess, she  only  took  food  every  fifteen  days,  and 
then   but  a  small  slice   of  bread,   which  her 
stomach   again    rejected,  after  retaining  it  a 
Bhort  time.     Such  was   her  way  of  living  for 


MARY   A\X    OP   JESUS.  127 


many  years;  until,  on  account  of  her  severe  in- 
dispositions, slic  was  compelled  by  her  confessor 
to  take  more  frequent  nourishment.  From  lliis 
time  she  was  induced  to  break  her  fast  every 
eight  days,  but  she  never  took  any  thing  but  a 
small  slice  of  bread,  which  never  amounted  to 
more  than  an  ounce.  J).  Scolastica  Sarmicnto 
testified  to  having  seen  in  Mary  Ann's  rooms 
several  of  those  little  cakes  which  they  are  ac- 
customed to  bless  on  the  Feast  of  St.  Nicholas, 
and  that  they  were  so  small,  that,  perha})s,  the 
whole  of  them  together  would  hardly  weigh  a 
single  ounce.  A  single  one  of  these,  was  the 
only  nourishment  she  took  every  eight  days. 
So  that,  during  the  whole  time  of  Lent,  she  was 
not  accustomed  to  eat  but  six  ounces  of  bread, 
and  four  in  Advent — that  is  to  say,  an  ounce 
every  Sunday ;  and  with  this  scanty  allowance 
she  not  unfrequently  mixed,  for  her  greater 
mortification,  ashes,  or  gall,  and  sometimes  bit- 
ter herbs,  to  render  it  as  unpleasant  as  possible 
to  the  taste.  It  was  to  be  feared,  moreover, 
that  her  throat  would  become  so  contracted 
from  the  want  of  moisture,  that  her  life  was  en- 
dangered from  suffocation,  and  then  she  was  ob- 
liged to  remedy  the  evil  by  sipping  water,  or 


128  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


keeping  in  her  moutli  a  small  piece  of  quince, 
and  gradually  extracting  its  juice.  Finally,  in 
the  last  years  of  her  life,  it  can  be  said  in  all 
truth,  that  she  derived  no  support  whatever 
from  natural  food,  because  even  that  small  par- 
ticle of  food,  which  she  took  every  eight  days, 
and  the  juice  of  the  quince,  Avhicli  she  swallowed 
once  in  every  eighteen  or  twenty  days,  she  was 
unable  to  retain  on  her  stomach,  but  soon  re- 
jected, almost  as  soon  as  she  took  it. 

In  order  to  render  her  extraordinary  ab- 
stinence still  more  painful,  and  to  stifle  with 
heroic  mortification  every  temptation  to  glut- 
tony, she  was  in  the  habit,  as  long  as  she  was  in 
good  health,  of  serving  her  relations  at  table, 
and  in  this  manner,  by  the  sight  of  the  dainty 
dishes  before  her,  to  make  her  own  want  more 
keenly  sensible.  At  first,  her  brother-in-law 
and  sister  were  strongly  opposed  to  it,  for  their 
hearts  could  not  endure  the  sight  of  that  little 
angel  acting  the  part  of  a  servant  every  day  at 
table.  But  slie  begged  so  hard,  and  brought 
forward  so  many  reasons,  that  at  last,  for  fear  of 
giving  her  pain,  they  dared  not  longer  oppose 
her.  After  some  time,  however,  there  was  not 
one  of  the  family  who  was  not  displeased  that 


MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS.  129 


such  a  thing  should  be  tolerated;  for  which 
reason,  D.  Cosimo  hit  upon  the  expedient  of 
changing  every  day  the  hour  of  dining,  think- 
ing, by  this  means,  to  escape  the  vigilance  of 
Mary  Ann.  But  it  was  all  useless;  for  no 
sooner  had  they  sat  down  to  table,  than  Mary 
Ann  always  made  her  appearance  with  a  smile 
upon  her  face,  and  ready  to  discharge  her 
humble  office.  It  would  frequently  happen  that 
her  sister,  or  some  one  of  the  guests,  who  Avere 
aware  of  her  abstinence,  would  ofler  her  some- 
thing to  eat;  but  it  was  never  possible  to  in- 
duce her  to  taste  even  so  much  as  a  mouthful, 
and  she  knew  how  to  excuse  herself  in  such 
cases  with  such  a  good  grace,  and  with  so  much 
civility  in  her  words  and  manner,  that  she 
gained  the  love  and  veneration  of  all  present. 
She  wished,  however,  that  her  portion  should 
be  preserved  untouched ;  but  it  was  only  that 
she  might  relieve,  with  it,  a  poor  Indian  woman, 
whom  she  charitably  supplied  every  day  with 
food.  When  dinner  was  over,  and  there  was 
nothing  more  to  be  done,  she  suggested  some 
pious  sentiment  to  the  guests,  and  then,  taking 
her  departure,  retired  to  her  solitude,  leaving 
all  present  edified  with  her  humility  and  morti- 
fication. 


130  MARY  INN   OF  JESUS. 


The  fame  of  Mary  Ann's  extraordinary  ab- 
stinence being  spread  over  the  city,  every  one 
■was  loud  in  praise  of  her  wonderful  sanctity. 
There  was  no  condition  or  class  of  persons  that 
were  not  of  opinion  that  her  rigid  course  of  life 
was  more  than  natural,  and  that  God  undoubt- 
edly concurred  to  support  her  with  virtue  more 
than  human.  The  more,  as  every'  one  remem- 
bered the  frequent  and  cruel  disciplines  she 
took,  the  continual  and  horrible  hair-cloths  she 
always  bore  about  her  person,  the  daily  loss  of 
so  much  blood  occasioned  by  bloody  disciplines, 
or  the  punctures  of  iron  chains  and  thorns,  or 
drawn  by  the  surgeon,  her  short  and  unpleasant 
sleep,  so  many  years  spent  without  the  enjoy- 
ment of  any  solace  or  recreation,  as  also  her 
long  prayers  and  meditations  on  her  knees,  and 
the  continual  guard  she  kept  over  her  senses, 
the  contradictions  she  always  offered  to  her 
own  will,  they  were  at  a  loss  to  understand  how 
a  small  slice  of  bread  and  a  few  sips  of  water, 
taken  so  sparingly  and  afterwards  rejected, 
could  naturally  afiord  that  amount  of  strength 
as  would  be  required  not  to  sink,  irreparably 
oppressed  and  overcome,  under  the  weight  of 
such  austerity,  as  would  have  been  insupport- 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  131 


able  to  a  man  of  the  Btrongest  and  most  robust 
constitution,  but  much   more  so  to  a  delicate 
girl,  and  one  so  young,  of  a  noble  family,  of  a 
very  feeble  constitution,  and  almost  always  sick. 
It  is  almost  inconceivable  how  insupportable 
to  the  humility  of  the  servant  of  God  were  the 
opinion  and  praises  of  men.     She  would  have 
wished  that  none  knew  or  spoke  of  her;  and 
consequently  she   made  use  of  every  art  and 
exertion   to   hide  her  fasts   from   the  eyes  of 
others,  even  at  the  cost  of  great  inconveniences 
and  sufferings.     One  of  the  principal  ladies  of 
the  city,  giving  little  credit  to  the  general  be- 
lief that  was  current  of  the  extraordinary  absti- 
nence of  Mary  Ann,  wished  to  be  convinced  of 
it  with  her  own  eyes,  and  therefore  having  gone 
one  morning  to  pay  her  a  visit,  took  the  liberty 
to  tell  her  that  she  would  remain  and  dine  with 
her.     The   Saint,  in  the   kindest  manner,  ex- 
pressed her  happiness  to  have  her  company,  and 
suspecting  perhaps  the  cause,  gave  orders  to 
have  her  table  well  supplied  that  day,  and  eat 
herself  of  several  dishes.     But  no  sooner  was 
the  lady  gone,  than  she  had  to  discliarge  from 
her  stomach,  with  much  pain,  every  thing  she 
had  taken.    At  other  times  she  would  order  her 


132  MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS. 


servant  Catharine  to  make  her  some  nice  and 
delicate  dishes,  and  afterwards  make  her  carry 
them,  openly  and  in  sight  of  every  body,  into 
her  apartment.  She  hoped  by  this  to  make  the 
family  and  strangers  believe  she  occasionally 
indulged  in  better  diet.  But  the  Indian,  with 
her  usual  simplicity,  betrayed  her ;  for  as  much 
as  she  was  distinguished  for  her  obedience,  so 
much  the  more  solicitous  she  was  to  disclose  to 
otirers  that  her  mistress,  without  tasting  the 
dishes  that  were  brought  her,  gave  the  whole 
of  them  to  the  poor. 


MARY   ANN  OP  JESUS.  133 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN,  AFTER  BEING  REDUCED 
TO  TUE  LAST  DEGREE  OF  ATTENUATION  BY  THE 
RIGOUR  OF  HER  FASTS,  IS  INSTANTANEOUSLY 
RESTORED  TO  HER  USUAL  APPEARANCE  AND 
STRENGTH,  WHICH  MIRACULOUSLY  CONTINUES 
TO  HER  DEATH.  PROOFS  OF  HER  BEING  SUP- 
PORTED FOR  MANY  YEARS  ON  DAILY  COMMUNION 
ALONE.  HER  TENDER  DEVOTION  TO  THE  MOST 
BLESSED  SACRAMENT  OF  THE  ALTAR. 

But  what  afflicted  the  blessed  child  most,  was 
the  extenuation  and  meagcrness  to  which,  from 
the  beginning,  she  was  reduced.  Her  face  was 
pale  and  without  colour,  every  member  of  her 
body  emaciated  and  withered,  so  that  she  had 
more  the  appearance  of  a  skeleton,  covered  with 
a  thin  skin,  than  a  real  and  sound  body.  Tliis 
exteriour  appearance,  which  it  was  impossible 
to  conceal,  gave  her  no  little  uneasiness,  as  it 
betrayed  to  every  body's  eyes  the  natural  effects 
of  her  excessive  rigours.  Besides,  her  sister 
and  brother-in-law  being  much  concerned  at  the 

1-2 


134  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


thought  of  losing  her  forever,  had,  for  a  long- 
time past,  used  argument  and  entreaties  to  in- 
duce  her  to  abate  something  of  that  excessive  ab- 
stemiousness, which  had  exhausted  her  strength 
and  attenuated  her  body.  And  when  they  saw 
they  lost  their  time  in  endeavouring  to  make 
her  alter  her  resolution,  tliey  applied  to  Fathei 
John  Camaccio,  that  he  would  use  his  authority 
as  confessor,  and  oblige  her  in  virtue  of  obe- 
dience to  change  her  way  of  life,  and  save  her-* 
self  from  certain  death.  He,  although  he  had 
been  inspired  by  Almighty  God  to  approve  her 
way  of  living,  yet  afterwards  seeing  that  with 
out  an  evident  miracle,  she  would  not  be  able 
to  hold  out  much  longer,  was  also  inclined  ta 
revoke  or  suspend  the  permission  given  her. 

Things  having  reached  this  state,  Mary  Ann 
found  herself  in  the  greatest  perplexity  an^ 
agitation  of  mind.  She  had  the  clearest  con  via 
tion  by  light  infused  into  her  mind  from  above, 
that  the  manner  of  her  penance  was  pleasing  to 
her  Divine  Spouse ;  and  in  this  she  was  certain 
of  not  going  astray.  But  on  the  other  side  hei 
excessive  paleness  and  leanness  was  the  cause 
of  considerable  anxiety  to  her,  as  it  would  afford 
an  occasion  to  the  family  of  frequently  renewing 


MARY   ANN  OP  JESUS.  135 


their  entreaties,  and  importuning  her  confessor 
to  forljid  her  every  extraordinary  rigour,  and 
would  be  also  to  strangers  a  reason  and  argu- 
ment of  thinking  licr  a  very  mortified  and  pcne- 
tential  person,  which  to  her  humility  was  insup- 
portable. Not  knowing  then  what  to  do,  she 
shut  herself  up  in  her  rooms,  and  redoubling 
her  prayers  for  many  days,  she  prayed  her  hea- 
venly Spouse  that  he  would  grant  her  the  special 
grace  of  leading  a  life  in  perfect  conformity  with 
his  most  holy  will,  yet  without  any  exteriour 
show,  wishing  to  live  entirely  unknown  to  the 
eyes  of  men.  After  praying  in  this  manner  with 
many  tears,  she  felt  an  interiour  voice  which 
told  her  that  her  prayer  was  heard.  She  went 
earlv  the  next  morning  to  the  church  of  the 
Jesuits,  and  having  sent  for  Father  Camaccis, 
she  told  him  that  he  should  suspend  his  judg- 
ment for  a  little  while  in  regard  to  her  fasts : 
that  he  should,  before  resolving,  consult  more 
earnestly  the  will  of  Almighty  God :  that  he 
should  say  the  mass  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  her 
that  very  morning,  and  implore  light  from  hea- 
ven. The  Father  after  hearing  this  went  imme- 
diately to  celebrate,  and  Mary  Ann  communi- 
cated with   extraordinary  fervour;  then  after 


136  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


spending  some  considerable  time  in  thanksgiv- 
ino-,  slie  returned  to  the  confessional  to  speak 
ao-ain  to  her  director,  and  she  had  scarcely  got 
on  her  knees  before  she  was  overpowered  by  a 
sweet  sleep,  something  like  an  exstacy.  A  little 
after  she  returned  to  her  senses  and  perceived 
herself  suddenly  quite  an  altered  person.  She 
was  no  longer  pale  and  meagre,  but  florid  and 
gay;  her  hands  no  longer  dry  and  emaciated, 
but  full  and  fleshy;  her  face  fresh  and  rosy;  her 
whole  air  and  appearance  were  so  exceedingly 
beautiful  and  resplendent,  that  she  seemed  like  an 
angel  just  descended  from  heaven.  The  servant 
of  God  was  herself  sensible  of  the  sudden 
change ;  and  therefore  turning  to  her  confessor, 
"  I  believe.  Father,"  said  she,  "  there  can  be  no 
longer  a  doubt  as  to  the  divine  will."  Father 
Camaccio  was  perfectly  astonished  at  the  mirac- 
ulous change;  and  adoring  the  admirable  dis- 
pensation of  Almighty  God,  comforted  Mary 
Ann,  and  exhorted  her  to  continue  the  way  of 
life  she  had  began.  Her  relations  also,  as  soon 
as  they  perceived  the  change  wrought  in  her 
countenance,  and  that  air  of  angelic  beauty, 
which  modestly  shone  in  her  face,  congratu- 
lated themselves,   believing  that   she  had  at 


MARY   AN\   OF   JESUS.  137 


last  been  induced  to  moderate  somewhat  the 
excessive  rigour  of  her  penances,  especially  in 
regard  of  fasting.  But  in  the  course  pf  time, 
observing  that  she  continued  to  mortify  her 
body  as  she  was  previously  accustomed  to  do, 
and  to  pass  whole  weeks  without  any  nourish- 
ment, and  yet  always  maintained  the  same  state 
of  florid  health,  which  could  not  be  impaired, 
even  in  appearance,  by  long  sicknesses,  to  which 
she  was  subject,  nor  death  itself,  they  reason- 
ably suspected  that  this  must  be  some  super- 
natural or  miraculous  interposition  of  divine 
providence. 

In  proof  of  this  also,  there  was  another  pro- 
digy, not  as  visible  as  the  lirst  to  the  exteriour 
eye,  but  still  equally  certain  and  no  less  extra- 
ordinary. All  who  gave  testimony  in  the  dif- 
ferent processes,  either  as  eye-witnesses  or  who 
spoke  to  their  own  certain  knowledge  of  Mary 
Ann's  fasts,  all  without  exception  agreed  in 
affirming,  that  by  a  special  favour  of  Almighty 
God  she  lived  for  many  years,  and  was  en- 
tirely supported  by  that  heavenly  and  spiritual 
food,  which  She  received  every  day  in  holy  com 
munion,  having  no  longer  any  need  of  material 
or  earthly  food.     It  was  without  doubt  the  same 

12* 


138  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


singular  and  extraordinary  grace  that  was  form 
erly  conferred  on  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna,  St. 
Rose  of  Lima,  and  several  other  favoured  souls, 
to  whom  Almighty  God  wished  to  assimilate  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann,  in  the  gratuitous  distribu- 
tion of  supernatural  gifts,  as  she  had  closely 
resembled  them  in  the  innocence  and  austerity 
of  her  life. 

That  she  really  lived  on  holy  communion, 
the  testimony  of  Fathers  John  Camaccio,  An- 
tonio Monosalvas,  and  Alfoso  Rosas,  who,  from 
having  been  her  confessors,  were  acquainted 
with  her  every  action,  even  the  most  insignifi- 
cant, although  hidden  and  interiour,  leaves  no 
room  for  doubt.  At  the  time  that  sudden  storm 
of  contradictions  was  excited  against  the  servant 
of  God,,  on  account  of  her  daily  communion, 
which  we  have  described  in  another  place, 
among  the  other  reasons  which  Father  Camaccio 
brought  forward  in  her  defence  before  the 
Bishop  of  Quito  and  the  theologians  deputed  to 
discuss  and  define  the  question,  one  was  this: 
that  to  forbid  frequent  communion  to  Mary 
Ann,  would  be  the  same  as  to  deny  her  the  only 
sustenance  on  which  she  lived.  And  that  he 
said  the  truth  was  also  observable  in  the  efi"ects, 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  139 


which  were  remarked  by  her  relatives  and  tliose 
belonging  to  the  house.  For  having  been  for- 
bidden to  approacii  the  holy  table  whilst  the 
matter  was  being  discussed,  Mary  Ann  became 
subject  to  great  weakness  and  deadly  swoons, 
and  had  hardly  strength  enough  to  stand  upon 
her  feet,  which  she  immediately  afterwards  re- 
covered as  soon  as  she  was  allowed  to  receive 
every  day.  In  the  last  years  of  her  life  it  was 
so  evident  that  the  Euciiaristic  bread  was  her 
only  food,  that  every  one  believed  it,  and  it  had 
ceased  to  be  a  matter  of  surprise. 

It  pleased  Almighty  God,  that  Mary  Ann 
herself  should,  on  more  occasions  than  one,  be 
unable  to  dissemble  or  deny  this  singular  favour 
granted  her  by  a  special  grace  of  heaven.  One 
day  she  exhorted  her  Indian  servant  Catharine 
to  fast  on  bread  and  water,  for  the  love  of  Jesus: 
and  the  other  replying  "  that  she  would  do  so 
willingly,  if  she  were  a  Saint  like  herself;"  "  do 
what  you  can  on  your  part,"  added  the  servant 
of  the  Lord,  "and  God  will  not  be  wanting 
with  his  assistance  to  give  you  health  and 
strength  to  do  it."  The  good  servant  smiled  to 
hear  her  talk  so ;  and  I  "  began,"  she  said,  in  her 
deposition,  "  to  fast  the  best  I  could,  but  I  could 


140  MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS. 


never  equal  my  mistress."     At  another  time  the 
same  Catharine,  wondering  very  much  at  her 
great  abstinence,  took  the  liberty  to  ask  Mary 
Ann  "  how  in  the  world  she  managed  to  live,  as 
she  could  not  retain  the  little  nourishment  which 
she  took  every  eight  days,  but  had  always  al- 
most immediately  to  reject  it  again?"     Mary 
Ann,  with  a  smile,  told  her  that  "every  morn- 
ing, when  she  left  the  house,  she  went  to  eat  a 
live  lamb,  whole  and  entire,  and  of  course  she 
had  no  need  of  other  food."     The  poor  simple 
woman  did  not  question  the  truth  of  what  she 
said,  nor  understand  the  meaning  of  her  words : 
rather  considering,  in  licr  own  mind,  the  answer 
of  her  mistress,  resolved  to  keep  watch  and  see 
in  what  place  and  what  liour  the  victuals  were 
secretly  prepared.     To  carry  out  her  plan,  she 
got  up.  very  early  for  several  days,  and  closely 
followed  Mary  Ann  when  she  issued  forth  at 
day-break :  and  observing  that  the  only  way  she 
took  was  to  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  she  came 
at  length  to  the  conclusion  that  the  entire  and 
living  lamb,  on  which  she  fed,  was  the  divine 
Sacrament  of  the  Eucharist,  which  she  received 
every  day. 

More  explicit  still  was  the  declaration  which 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  141 


the  Saint  made  to  Pctronilla  of  St.  Byruns,  a 
lady  of  exalted  piety  and  her  confident,  and  who 
afterwards  became  a  nun  in  the  monastery  of  St. 
Clare.  This  lady  having  heard  many  persons 
say  that  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  lived  on  communion 
alone,  took  the  liberty  which,  that  intimate 
friendship  which  existed  between  them  gave 
her,  to  turn  the  conversation,  when  they  were 
talking  together  one  day  on  heavenly  things, 
purposely  on  the  most  Blessed  Sacrament,  and 
then  plainly  asked  the  servant  of  God  if  such 
really  were  the  eflects  which  that  divine  food 
produced  in  her :  and  she  pressed  and  urged  her 
with  so  many  questions  and  prayers,  that  at 
length  the  other  being  overcome  by  her  entrea- 
ties, candidly  confessed  that  she  no  longer 
needed  natural  food;  that  the  holy  Eucharist 
was  sufficient  to  support  her  life. 

I  will  further  add,  that  sometimes  not  only 
communion,  but  the  very  hope  of  soon  receiving 
it  was  enough  for  Mary  Ann  to  cure  her  per- 
fectly of  severe  and  dangerous  corporal  infirmi- 
ties ;  and  in  proof  of  it  I  will  relate  a  wonderful 
fact,  which  I  find  recorded  in  flie  process.  Fa- 
ther John  Camaccio  having  left  the  city  of  Quito, 
she  took  Father  Antonio  Monosalvas  for  her 


142  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


confessor.  This  Father,  who  from  not  beinj^ 
yet  acquainted  with  her  virtue,  had  been  one 
amongst  the  most  strenuous  opposers  of  daily 
communion,  no  sooner  saw  her  at  his  feet  than 
he  forbade  her  to  communicate  the  next  day,  as 
she  had  desired  and  asked,  it  being  the  vigil  of 
Bt.  John  the  Baptist,  to  whom  she  was  very 
devout.  The  humble  servant  of  the  Lord  obeyed 
without  reply;  but  she  was  hardly  returned 
home,  before  she  was  assailed  that  very  day 
with  a  malignant  fever,  and  accompanied  with 
such  violence  that  the  physicians,  with  all  their 
skill,  could  give  her  no  relief,  and  in  a  short 
time  she  was  brought  almost  to  death's  door. 
As  soon  as  Father  Monosalvas  heard  of  it,  he 
went  immediately  to  visit  her,  and  fearing  the 
beginning  of  the  disorder  was  no  other  than  his 
refusal  to  allow  her  to  communicate  when  going 
away,  consoled  her  by  telling  her  that  he  ex- 
pected her  the  next  morning  in  church,  where 
Bhe  would  be  able  to  receive  the  bread  of  an- 
gels. That  was  enough,  for  Mary  Ann  recov- 
ered immediately  her  health  and  strength.  At 
the  first  dawn  of  day  she  left  the  house,  and  so 
eager  was  she  to  go  to  church,  that  she  had  to 
Wait  some  time  outside  the  door  till  the  church 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  143 


was  opened.  Iler  confessor  could  scarcely  be- 
lieve his  eyes  when  he  first  saw  her,  and  asked 
her  if  it  were  her  great  desire  of  communicating 
that  induced  her  to  expose  herself  in  tliat  man- 
ner, and  come  at  such  an  early  hour,  sick  as  she 
was.  But  being  convinced  by  her  reply  and 
her  looks  that  she  was  perfectly  free  of  fever, 
and  entirely  cured,  he  was  persuaded  that 
the  will  of  God  was  too  clearly  expressed  for 
him  to  deprive  that  innocent  and  fervent  soul 
any  longer  of  that  divine  food,  which  is  the 
bread  and  support  of  the  strong. 

Finally,  the  presence  alone  of  the  Eucharistic 
Sacrament  was  for  Mary  Ann  the  sweetest  com 
fort  which  she  could  have  on  earth.  She  spent 
five  or  six  hours  of  the  day  in  the  church  of  the 
Jesuits,  and  always  motionless,  with  her  eyes 
either  fixed  on  the  tabernacle  or  on  the  altars, 
in  the  act  of  profound  adoration  of  the  most 
Blessed  Sacrament.  Every  year  during  both 
the  three  last  days  of  Carnival  and  those  of 
Holy  Week  she  never  left  the  church,  even  at 
night,  but  remained  all  tlie  time  without  repose 
and  without  food,  to  keep  company  with  her 
Beloved.  She  was  sometimes  seen  with  her  face 
quite  inflamed,  and  pauting  as  it  were  with  the 


144  MARY  ANN  OF   JESUS. 


vehemence  of  her  affection,  unable  to  control 
the  flame  of  divine  love  which  consumed  her 
inmost  soul.  At  other  times  she  remained  as 
one  in  an  ecstacj,  transported  out  of  herself, 
bereft  entirely  of  her  senses,  and  bathed  in  a 
flood  of  tender  tears,  which  quietly  flowed  from 
her  eyes.  At  this  time  she  was  perfectly  insen- 
sible to  all  that  passed  around  her,  and  it  was 
useless  to  call  her  even  with  a  loud  voice  by  her 
name,  or  shake  her  by  her  dress  or  person,  in 
order  to  make  her  come  to  herself.  Ocular 
witnesses  affirmed  that  there  was  frequently 
about  her,  before  and  after  communion,  an  air 
of  angelic  beauty ;  that  her  face  was  surrounded 
with  rays,  or  resplendent  with  the  brightest 
light ;  that  it  dazzled  tlie  eyes  of  all  who  beheld 
it.  At  which  time  it  was  useless  to  approach 
her  to  speak  to  her,  although  it  were  only  for  a 
moment  and  of  necessary  things.  One  morning 
one  of  the  Society  went  to  her  to  tell  her  some- 
thing of  importance,  some  considerable  tim ) 
after  she  had  approached  the  holy  table,  whilss 
she  was  still  kneeling  in  a  corner  of  the  churchy 
with  her  veil  drawn  down  over  her  breast,  an^> 
her  mind  wholly  recollected  in  God.  He  caller' 
her  many  times,  but  always  without  effect ;  be 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  145 


cause  she  neither  licaid  nor  saw  any  thing.  At 
last  coming  to  herself,  she  raised  her  head  a 
little,  and  with  her  face  inflamed  in  an  extraor- 
dinary manner,  "My  Father,"  said  she,  "I  have 
just  finished  my  communion,"  and  without  an- 
other word  she  covered  herself  again,  and  con- 
tinued her  profound  contemplation.  Were  we 
to  judge  from  what  appeared  exteriourly  in  her 
person,  what  must  we  imagine  must  have  been 
the  interiour  delights  which  replenished  her 
soul.  But  we  shall  have  an  opportunity  of 
speaking  of  these  more  in  detail  in  another 
place.  What  has  been  said  will  suffice  to  show 
lis  her  extraordinary  and  wonderful  love  to- 
wards the  divine  Sacrament  of  the  altar. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE  SOLITARY  LIFE  OF  THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN  IN 
HER  DOMESTIC  RETREAT.  HER  INTERIOUR  MOR- 
TIFICATION AND  PERFECT  MASTERY  OVER  HER 
PASSIONS.  HOW  PERFECTLY  SHE  OBSERVED  HER 
VOWS  OF  POVERTY  AND  OBEDIENCE  EVEN  IN 
THINGS  DIFFICULT  AND  REPUGNANT  TO  NATURE. 

In  taking  up  the  history  of  the  life  of  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann,  it  is  but  proper  we  should 

13 


146  MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS. 


speak  of  her  domestic  solitude,  of  her  entire 
detachment  from  every  thing  created,  of  the 
denial  of  her  own  -will,  which  are  also  parts  of 
the  interiour  as  well  as  exteriour  mortification, 
of  which  we  have  been  heretofore  speaking. 

From  the  moment  the  blessed  child,  at  the 
age  of  twelve,  voluntarily  shut  herself  up  in  her 
retirement,  she  lived  in  the  midst  of  the  world, 
witliin  the  walls  of  her  paternal  home,  and  in  a 
thickly  crowded  city,  no  otherwise  than  if  she 
had  been  in  the  most  remote  and  forsaken  soli- 
tude of  the  desert.  She  no  longer  allowed  any 
one  from  without  to  enter  her  rooms;  nay,  not 
even  her  nearest  relatives  of  the  house,  except 
very  rarely,  or  on  business ;  desiring  to  live 
solely  to  herself,  and  completely  aloof  from  the 
world,  which  she  had  renounced  forever.  The 
day  dedicated  to  the  festival  of  the  most  Blessed 
Trinity  was  the  only  exception,  when  her  apart- 
ment was  opened  to  those  of  the  family,  and 
this  only  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  them  to 
her  little  altar,  there  to  pay  their  tribute  of 
adoration  to  that  august  mystery,  to  which  she 
was  extremely  devout.  Before  introducing  them, 
however,  she  set  her  poor  furniture  in  good 
order,  washed  the  walls  and  pavements  of  the 


MARY   ANN  OF  JESUS.  147 


spots  of  blood  scattered  over  them,  and  hid  all 
her  instruments  of  penance,  with  Avhich  she  was 
well  supplied.  There  Avere  a  great  many  per- 
sons who,  hearing  by  report  of  the  rigid  aus- 
terities of  Mary  Ann,  became  very  urgent  in 
their  entreaties  to  Ije  admitted  for  a  moment 
into  her  quarters,  to  behold  with  their  own  eyes 
what  they  had  heard,  to  their  great  surprise, 
about  her :  but  it  was  not  possiide,  when  she 
discovered  their  object,  to  induce  her  to  satisfy 
tlieir  curiosity.  Once,  however,  she  could  not 
cscaj)e,  without  disobeying  the  many  pressing 
solicitations  made  her  by  1).  Giuseppa  Tineo,  a 
lady  belonging  to  one  of  the  first  families  and 
of  great  piety.  This  lady,  after  having  begged 
of  the  servant  of  God  Avith  a  great  ^ deal  of 
earnestness  but  always  in  vain,  to  be  allowed  to 
see  her  rooms,  had  at  last  recourse  to  her  con- 
fessor, and  obtained  from  him  a  positive  order. 
Then  Mary  Ann  finding  it  imposible  to  offer 
further  resistance,  fled  to  prayer  to  consult  her 
Divine  Spouse;  and  she  arose  from  it  so  con- 
soled, that  D.  Scolastica  Sarmiento,  who  had 
brought  her  the  command  of  her  confessor,  she 
said — "You  will  see  that  Signora  Tineo,  al- 
though she  has  got  the  permission  of  my  con- 


148  MART   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


fessor,  Will  not  gain  her  object;"  and  she  added, 
"  1  have  asked  of  my  Spouse  not  to  cause  me 
the  pain  I  would  experience  were  that  lady  per- 
mitted to  enter  my  poor  chamber,  because  she 
would  see  things  there  which  I  would  not  wish 
any  one  to  see."  And  so  in  fact  it  happened ; 
for  the  lady,  after  being  kindly  led  into  the  first 
room  of  the  apartment,  no  sooner  cast  her  eye 
upon  the  coffin  that  was  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor,  with  the  skeleton  in  it,  than  she  was 
seized  with  such  horror  that  she  fainted  on  the 
spot,  and  not  wishing  to  advance  any  farther,  it 
was  necessary  to  raise  her  up  and  carry  her  in- 
sensible out  of  the  apartment. 

Even  Catharine,  the  Indian  servant,  and  D. 
Sebastiana  her  niece,  who  dwelt  in  the  same 
apartment,  could  very  seldom  gain  admittance 
into  the  more  private  rooms  of  Mary  Ann, 
where  she  kept  her  instruments  of  penance. 
The  blessed  girl  was  there  all  alone,  either 
absorbed  in  deep  contemplation,  or  mortifying 
her  innocent  body  in  the  most  unheard-of  ways : 
and  she  never  left  them,  except  it  was  at  noon 
to  serve  at  the  table  of  her  relatives,  or  towards 
evening  to  recite  with  them  the  holy  rosary,  or 
to  read  some  pious  book.     The  rest  of  the  day 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  149 


she  was  never  seen  wandering  through  the  other 
parts  of  the  house,  or  stopping  to  entertain  her- 
self with  any  one,  althougli  it  were  only  for  a 
moment. 

She  never  left  the  house  when  slic  was  in 
good  health,  except  to  go  every  morning  to  the 
church  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  where  sho  spent 
her  time  praying  and  solacing  herself  with  the 
holy  Sacraments  till  it  was  eleven  o'clock.  She 
always  went  and  returned  by  the  shortest  and 
most  expeditious  way;  and  such  was  her  modesty 
and  composure  that  the  very  sight  of  her  was 
calculated  to  excite  one  to  devotion.  She  wore 
a  long  veil  which  reached  to  her  breast,  and 
with  it  she  completely  covered  her  face  and 
hands;  and  she  walked  with  such  recollection, 
that  she  noticed  none  who  passed  her,  and  it 
frequently  became  necessary  for  her  nieces  and 
the  other  ladies  who  accompanied  her  to  warn 
her  to  return  the  salutations  of  many  persons 
who  came  purposely  at  that  hour  to  meet  and 
recommend  themselves  to  her.  From  the  testi- 
mony in  the  different  processes,  we  learn  that 
she  only  went  once  to  the  church  of  St.  Francis 
to  assist,  as  we  said  before,  at  the  obsequies  of 
her  niece  D.  Sebastiana ;  and  on  another  occa- 

13* 


150  MARY  ANN   OP   JESUS. 


sion  she  once  changed  her  ordinary  way  to  the 
church  of  the  Jesuits.  The  cause  of  it  was  this : 
When  she  was  either  going  or  returning  from 
the  church,  some  persons  seeing  her  at  a  dis- 
tance, made  use  of  these  words:  "Look,  here 
comes  the  Saint;"  and  this  was  the  common 
name  by  wliich  she  was  called  by  every  body  in 
Quito.  Mary  Ann  heard  the  words,  and  it  can- 
not be  imagined  how  painful  they  were  to  her 
humility.  She  shed  copious  tears  before  her 
God,  and  for  many  days  increased  her  ordinary 
mortifications.  She  deprived  herself  of  that 
trifling  refreshment  which  she  took  to  quench 
her  burning  thirst,  by  keeping  in  her  mouth 
small  pieces  of  apple  and  extracting  the  juice; 
and  she  tortured  herself  with  other  penances,  as 
if  she  would  punish  in  herself  the  esteem  and 
good  opinion  which  others  had  of  her.  And 
finally,  she  proposed,  in  her  own  mind,  to  alter 
her  rout,  and  in  fact  she  did  so  the  next  morn- 
ing to  escape  hearing  similar  expressions  of  es- 
teem. But  having  confided  the  whole  affair,  as 
was  her  custom,  to  her  confessor,  he  thought 
otherwise,  and  she  immediately  submitted  her 
will  to  his.  When  she  was  invited  by  her  nieces 
and  her  other  female  relatives  to  go  with  them 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  151 


to  somo  extraordinary  and  solemn  sacred  func- 
tion, that  was  celebrated  in  tiic  city,  she  alway.- 
excused  herself  by  saying,  that  she  could  not 
do  so  without  special  leave  of  her  confessor 
Suppressing  in  this  manner  every  emotion  of 
curiosity,  although  perfectly  innocent,  she  per- 
severed to  her  death,  spending  her  days  entirely 
hidden  in  her  own  rooms,  or  in  the  church  of 
the  Jesuits. 

All  this  arose  from  the  little  value  Mary  Ann 
set  on  the  things  of  this  world.  Accustomed 
from  her  tender  years  to  know  and  contemplate 
with  tlie  eyes  of  the  mind  the  incomparal)le 
greatness  of  heaven,  every  time  she  cast  her  eye 
upon  the  goods  here  below,  she  could  never  dis- 
cover in  them  any  thing  to  be  derived  as  pre- 
cious, but  rather  why  they  should  be  abhorred 
as  vile  and  sordid.  From  this  same  source  also 
sprung  the  small  account  she  made  of  beauty  of 
person,  nobility  of  blood,  abundance  of  riches, 
and  whatever  the  world  loves  and  embraces. 
and  holds  as  the  chief  happiness  of  man.  From 
the  time  she  consecrated  herself  to  God  by  ;; 
perpetual  vow  of  poverty,  she  retained  nothing 
as  her  own,  but  as  lent  her  by  her  sister  D. 
Girolama.    She  lived  in  the  house  just  as  if  sin 


152  MARY    ANN    OP   JESUS. 


had  been  taken  in  through  charity,  and  main- 
tained out  of  pure  charity;  the  furniture  of  her 
rooms  could  not  have  been  worse,  or  of  a  poorer 
description.  The  whole  of  it  consisted  of  a 
painting  of  the  most  Blessed  Trinity,  two  little 
statues  of  the  Infant  Jesus  and  his  most  Blessed 
Mother,  and  a  few  other  simple  pictures  of  her 
patron  Saints.  In  addition  to  these  she  had  a 
small  bed  and  a  few  chairs,  which  were  merely 
for  show,  a  guitar  on  which  she  sometimes  sang 
some  pious  hymns,  some  lives  of  the  Saints  and 
other  spiritual  books,  a  large  collection  of  pene- 
tential  instruments,  and  nothing  more.  It  was 
her  invariable  custom  to  have  no  other  dress 
than  that  she  had  on,  which  was,  as  we  said,  of 
plain  serge,  and  which  she  mended  with  her 
own  hand.  She  never  made  a  present  of  the 
most  trifling  little  thing  without  first  getting 
the  express  consent  of  her  confessor,  neither  did 
she  ever  take  any  thing  of  the  house,  even  for 
her  own  use,  without  asking  permission  of  her 
relatives.  Whenever  presents  were  offered  or 
sent  her  by  her  friends,  she  either  would  not 
receive  them,  or  if  she  were  obliged  for  fear  of 
giving  offence  to  take  them,  she  immediately 
distributed  them  to  the  poor.     And  with  the 


MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS.  153 


consent  of  her  confessor  she  gave  in  the  same 
manner  Avhat  she  gained  by  the  labour  of  her 
hands  during  the  hours  which  were  not  devoted 
to  the  concerns  of  her  soul. 

But  the  perfect  detachment  from  the  goods 
of  the  earth,  and  the  voluntary  renunciation 
made  of  them  by  means  of  evangelical  poverty, 
liowever  hard  it  may  be  to  the  flesh,  which  is 
constrained  to  subject  itself  to  continual  incon- 
venience and  trouble,  bears  no  comparison  with 
the  excellence  of  that  virtue  which  is  necessary 
for  the  bridling  and  correcting  the  interiour 
passions  of  the  soul,  and  to  renounce  one's  own 
will  and  judgment,  following  reason  alone  as  3 
guide,  and  the  direction  of  those  whom  God  hag 
ffivcn  us  to  be  our  directors  and  masters.  To 
show  how  much  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jcsug 
signalized  herself  in  this  regard,  I  could  here 
relate,  if  it  would  not  take  too  long,  the  depo- 
sitions of  those  who,  of  their  own  knowledge, 
declared  that  she  had  arrived  to  a  perfect  mas- 
terv  over  the  emotions  of  the  soul  in  every  kind 
of  aflection.  At  the  beginning  of  her  devout 
life,  when  that  storm  of  contradictions,  of  which 
we  have  already  spoken,  was  raised  against  her, 
even  by  persons  of  known  probity  and  learning, 


154  MAHY    AN.\    OF   JESUS. 


she  was  never  observed  to  show  any  resentment, 
or  be  in  the  least  rufHed ;  but  always  the  same, 
she  bore  with  a  calm  mind  and  serene  look,  and 
with  unalterable  peace,  the  taunts  and  cutting 
observations  of  her  enemies.  And  as  she  had 
been  in  the  habit  of  conquering  herself,  she 
succeeded  in  acquiring  those  two  difficult  things, 
which  constitute  the  perfection  of  virtue,  viz : 
to  rejoice  in  scorn  and  contempt,  as  if  they  were 
so  many  praises  and  honours,  and  to  have  such 
an  absolute  masteiy  over  herself  as  to  render 
her  exempt  from  the  violence  of  those  first  and 
sudden  emotions  which  frequently  surprise  and 
overpower  reason.  Thus  did  this  blessed  soul 
enjoy,  as  in  a  secure  port,  perpetual  calm  and 
tranquillity ;  and  whatever  turn  things  took,  far 
from  giving  her  any  disturbance,  they  afforded 
her,  on  the  contrary,  incomparable  content  and 
delight,  because  in  them  she  beheld  the  eternal 
ordinations  of  divine  providence.  As  far  as  she 
was  personally  concerned,  being  fully  persuaded 
that  the  way  of  sufferings  is  the  shortest  and 
the  most  profitable,  she  besought  her  beloved 
Spouse  continually,  that  should  it  please  his 
divine  majesty  that  he  would  deign  conduct  her 
to  sanctity  not  by  the  extraordinary  graces  of 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  155 


predilection,  of  which  she  thought  herself  un- 
worthy, but  by  trials  of  humiliations,  contempt, 
and  a  life  entirely  hidden  from  the  eyes  of  men. 
It  is  not  wonderful  if  to  the  interiour  morti- 
fication of  the  affections  of  the  soul,  she  added 
a  perfect  renunciation  of  her  own  will  and  judg- 
ment. From  the  time  she  bound  herself  by  the 
vow  of  obedience  to  her  confessor,  we  can  say 
with  truth,  she  had  no  longer  any  will  or  judg- 
ment of  her  own,  giving  herself  up  entirely  to 
the  guidance  and  direction  of  him  who  had 
charge  of  her  soul.  Her  first  confessor  was,  as 
we  very  frequently  said,  Father  John  Camaccio, 
who  undertook  the  direction  of  her  from  her 
tender  years,  and  under  whose  paternal  care  she 
reached  the  highest  point  of  perfection.  After 
him  she  had  Fathers  Antonio  Monosalvas,  Luigi 
Vasquez,  Luca  della  Queva,  Gion  Pietro  Seve- 
rino,  Alfonso  Roxas,  and  towards  the  last  years 
of  her  life,  God  himself,  by  a  special  disposition 
of  divine  providence,  gave  her  for  her  spiritual 
director  Brothef  Ferdinando  della  Croce,  all  of 
them  religious  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  To  tlicm 
she  gave  an  exact  account  of  her  conscience 
every  day,  and  with  much  humility  and  wonder- 
ful sincerity  manifested  the  interiour  emotions 


156  MARY   AXN    OF   JESUS. 


of  her  soul,  tlie  mortifications  and  penances 
wliicli  she  practised,  and  the  favours  which  she 
received  from  God :  nor  did  she  ever  depart  an 
iota  from  their  prescriptions,  although  they  were 
contrary  and  repugnant  to  her  own  views.  Even 
those  very  things  which,  of  their  nature,  are  ex- 
tremely dear  to  a  soul  enamoured  with  God, 
such  as  to  go  to  church,  to  pray  and  receive  the 
Sacraments  were  only  pleasing  to  her  inasmuch 
as  they  were  done  through  obedience ;  and  she 
would  have  had  a  great  scruple  if  she  had  suf- 
fered herself  to  be  influenced  by  her  fervour  to 
undertake  any  thing,  however  holy  and  good  it 
might  be,  from  any  other  motive  than  to  please 
God  and  do  his  divine  will,  of  which  her  con- 
fessors were  the  secure  and  legitimate  inter- 
preters. At  first,  to  put  her  virtue  to  the  test, 
sometimes  one  and  sometimes  another  ordered 
her  not  to  approach  the  holy  table ;  nay,  more, 
not  to  go  to  church :  and  she  in  the  true  spirit 
of  obedience  resigned  herself  entirely  to  their 
good  pleasure.  The  family  were  astonished  to 
see  her  stay  at  home  on  certain  days  and  not 
even  hear  mass ;  but  no  one,  from  respect  to  her, 
dared  to  ask  her  the  reason.  Only  Catharine 
the  Indian,  whom  we  have  so  frequently  men- 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  157 


tioned  in  this  history,  witii  imjioi-tincnt  sim- 
plicity asked  licr  mistress,  one  morning,  why 
she  was  not  getting  ready  that  day  to  go  to  tlie 
church;  according  to  custom.  And  Mary  Ann 
told  her,  without  being  in  the  least  disturbed, 
"  I  am  not  going  because  I  am  a  daughter  of 
obedience." 

No  matter  liow  hard  or  difficult  the  things 
were  tliat  were  enjoined  her,  she  never  suffered 
herself  to  be  actuated  by  any  judgment  or  sen- 
timent contrary  to  the  perfection  of  obedience. 
To  make  a  practical  trial  to  what  degree  of  sub- 
jection she  had  brought  her  will,  Father  Ca- 
maccio  ordered  her  to  lay  open  her  whole  inte- 
I'iour  to  her  niece  D.  Giovanna  di  Casso,  and 
not  conceal  one  thing  either  of  her  penances  or 
the  divine  favours  which,  up  to  that  hour,  she 
had  received  in  such  abundance  from  the  liberal 
hand  of  the  Lord;  and  at  the  same  time  he  ac- 
quainted D.  Giovanna  with  the  order  he  had 
given  Mary  Ann.  Every  one  can  imagine  how 
much  it  must  have  cost  the  servant  of  God 
blindly  to  submit  to  such  a  command,  overcom- 
ing with  heroic  fortitude  every  feeling  of  natural 
repugnance,  which  was  doubly  increased  fro;ii 
the  low  opinion  she  had  of  herself.     The  fact 

G 


158  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


was,  she  was  no  sooner  returned  home  than  she 
called  aside  her  niece,  and  after  telling  her  the 
command  she  had  received  from  her  confessor, 
with  no  less  humility  than  sincerity,  began  to 
manifest  all  the  severe  treatment  which  she  had 
ever  inflicted  on  herself  by  the  practice  of  so 
many  mortifications  and  penances ;  after  this  she 
disclosed  to  her,  one  by  one,  the  favours  and 
singular  gifts  which  Almighty  God  had  poured 
into  her  bosom  with  such  abundance  and  predi- 
lection; and  she  narrated  everything  with  as 
much  minuteness  and  sincerity  as  if  she  were 
rendering  an  account  to  her  confessor  under 
seal  of  confession.     I).    Giovanna   was   almost 
beside  herself  througk  wonder;  and  this  not  so 
much  on  account  of  that  heroic  act  of  obedience, 
on  the  part  of  her  aunt,  as  on  account  of  the 
great  and  extraordinary  things  which  she  lieard. 
She  tried  to  impress  them  deeply  upon  her  mind, 
aud  scarcely  was  the  other  finislied  before  she 
arose   to  retire  to  her  own  room  and  put  on 
paper  vvliat  she  had  heard.     After  going  a  few 
steps  she  wished  to  call  to  mind  what  she  had 
heard,  but  she  had  only  a  general  and  confused 
recollection.      She  remembered  in   general   to 
have  heard  things  truly  wonderful  and  exti-a- 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  159 


ordinary ;  but  in  iiarticular  she  remembered 
notliing,  licr  mind  being  filled  with  a  thousand 
strange  and  vague  ideas.  Wherefore  being 
more  tlian  ever  astonished  and  pcri)lexcd  at  the 
strangeness  of  the  thing,  she  returned  back  into 
the  Saint's  room  and  said — "  Pray,  tell  me  again, 
I  entreat  you,  what  you  just  now  told  me ;  for 
I  don't  know  how,  but  1  can't  remember  a  single 
word  of  all  that  you  told  me :  you  will  not  refuse 
me  this  favour  which  I  ask  of  you,  since  you 
were  already  pleased  to  unbosom  your  whole 
soul  to  me."  But  the  servant  of  God,  who  was 
perfectly  aware  of  what  had  happened  by  a  light 
from  above,  smiled  a  little  hearing  her  talk  in 
this  manner;  and  notwithstanding  the  earnest 
and  liumble  entreaties  which  were  made  her, 
she  could  never  be  induced  to  repeat  a  single 
word,  thinking  it  sufficient  that  she  had  punc- 
tually executed  the  obedience  imposed  upon  her. 
Her  niece,  however,  was  not  disheartened,  but 
renewing  her  entreaties  she  asked  her  "how  will 
I  ever  be  able  to  reply  to  Father  Camaccio, 
should  he  wish  to  know  of  me  if  you  have 
obeyed  ?"  Mary  Ann,  with  the  greatest  mild- 
ness, replied — ''  You  will  tell  my  father  con- 
fessor that  I  have  obeyed  his  command,  but  that 


160  MARY    ANN    OF   JESUS. 


my  heavenly  Spouse  does  not  wish  my  affairs  to 
be  known  whilst  I  am  still  alive :  and  this  is 
sufficient.  For  yourself,  complain  of  your  defi- 
ciency of  memory,  and  hence  learn  that  it  is  the 
will  of  God  that  his  secrets  should  not  be  inves- 
tigated." Nor  did  the  wonder  cease  here:  for, 
after  the  death  of  Mary  Ann,  all  the  impressions 
so  long  lost  suddenly  revived  in  the  mind  of 
her  niece  clear  and  distinct ;  and  so  she  was  able 
to  recount  a  great  portion  of  what,  on  that  oc- 
casion, she  had  heard  from  her  holy  aunt. 

Father  Antonio  Monosalvas  confessed,  in  his 
juridical  deposition,  that  being  still  quite  young 
and  not  much  skilled  in  the  direction  of  souls 
of  consummate  perfection  and  sanctity,  it  not 
unfrequently  happened  that  he  commanded  the 
servant  of  God  several  things  which  were  not 
at  all  suited  to  that  way  of  virtue,  by  which 
God  wished  to  direct  her.  Notwithstanding 
this  Mary  Ann,  although  she  plainly  saw  by  a 
light  from  above  that  her  confessor  was  mis- 
taken, obeyed  to  the  very  letter  without  reply. 
Only  the  next  day,  when  presenting  herself  be- 
fore him,  she  humbly  prayed  him  that  "  he  would 
be  pleased  to  read,  at  his  convenience,  a  partic- 
ular chapter  or  paragraph  which  she  had  marked 
in  the  book  she  gave  him."    And  the  Father 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  ICl 


added,  that  "precisely  in  that  very  place  he 
found  the  solution  of  his  doubts,  and  discovering 
the  mistake  he  had  made,  applied  himself  more 
and  more  earnestly  to  prayer,  and  implored  light 
from  heaven  to  enable  him  to  conduct  souls  by 
that  way,  by  which  God  called  them  to  himself. 
But  where  the  humility  and  obedience  of 
Mary  Ann  were  displayed  in  their  highest  per- 
fection was  in  the  following  fact.  Since  Brother 
Ferdinando  dclla  Croce,  from  that  sympathetic 
feeling  of  the  soul  which  existed  between  them, 
had  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  marvellous  life 
of  that  blessed  soul,  he  thought  with  himself 
that  it  would  greatly  tend  to  God's  glory,  if  sl>e 
should  undertake,  through  obedience,  to  write 
an  exact  account  of  her  whole  life,  and  by  this 
means  the  world  would  have  from  herself  an 
exact  detail  of  her  virtues,  and  those  most  sin- 
gular favours  which  God  had  bestowed  upon 
her.  He  commanded  her,  therefore,  under  pain 
of  disobedience,  to  write  down  a  faithful  narra- 
tive of  every  thing  that  had  passed  up  to  that 
moment  in  her  innocent  soul.  Any  one  who 
knows  any  thing  of  perfection  may  easily  judge 
what  an  heroic  act  is  required  to  obey  such  a 
command,  especially  in  the  case  of  an  humble 


14* 


162  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


and  holy  person.  Mary  Ann  was  touclied  to 
the  very  quick;  and  as  she  knew  that  it  was 
not  contrary  to  the  perfection  of  the  will  prompt 
to  obey,  to  propose  with  due  deference  to  her 
superiour  her  reasons  to  the  contrary,  she  signi- 
fied to  her  director  what  her  humility  and  con- 
tempt of  herself  suggested,  in  order  to  rid  her- 
self of  the  task  imposed  upon  her,  if  they  should 
seem  good  to  him.  But  the  good  religious,  after 
having  listened  with  attention  to  all  her  reasons, 
concluded  by  telling  her  bluntly  and  in  few 
words,  that  she  must  obey.  She  submissively 
bowed  her  head,  and  suppressing  every  natural 
repugnance,  immediately  began  to  execute  the 
order  that  had  been  given  her.  And  she  had 
already  accomplished  a  good  portion  of  her 
task,  when  learning  by  a  light  from  above  that 
such  was  not  the  will  of  her  Divine  Spouse,  she 
returned  to  Brother  Ferdinando  and  briefly  in- 
formed him  of  the  interiour  voice  she  had  heard, 
but  with  entire  resignation  to  his  judgment. 
He  seeing  that  it  was  the  will  of  God,  yielded 
and  revoked  his  order;  and  she  immediately 
tearing  in  pieces  what  she  had  written  joyfully 
gave  up  the  undertaking,  and  thus  we  were  dje- 
prived  of  that  most  interesting  account  of  her 
interionr  life. 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  163 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE  GREAT  LOVE  OF  THE  BLESSED  MART  ANN 
TOWARDS  GOD.  HER  ARDENT  DESIRE  TO  SUFFER, 
AND  THE  INCREDIBLE  DELIGHT  SHE  EXPERIENCED 
IN  SUFFERINGS.  HER  INNOCENCE  OF  LIFE  AND 
THE  ANGELIC  PURITY  OF  HER  MANNERS,  WHICH 
SHE  PRESERVED  UNSPOTTED  TO  HER  DEATH.— 
WONDERFUL  EFFECTS  OF  THE  SAME. 

The  more  the  Blessed  ^lary  Ann  was  free 
from  the  empire  of  the  pai?sions  and  detatched 
from  tl\e  love  of  creatures,  the  more  she  was 
intimately  connected  with  and  united  to  God. 
All  her  thoughts  and  affections  were  turned  to 
her  chief  good;  and  from  the  divine  love  they 
derived  their  origin,  regulation  and  direction, 
and  in  the  divine  love  terminated  her  every 
action  It  is  only  from  the  effects  which  it  pro- 
duced that  we  can  form  any  idea  of  the  ardent 
love  which  burnt  continually  in  her  heart:  and 
these  effects  could  not  have  been  clearer  or  of  a 
piore  wonderful  character.  Among  these  were 
the  gift  of  tears,  tbc  visible  fire  that  appeared 


104  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


iu  her  countenance,  the  power  of  remaining 
hours  and  whole  nights  motionless  and  in  a  state 
of  ccstacy,  encircled  by  rays,  and  transported 
out  of  her  senses,  and  sometimes  also  raised  with 
lier  whole  body  above  the  ground.  In  the  church 
of  the  Jesuits  her  ordinary  place  was  under  the 
steps  which  led  to  the  pulpit ;  and  she  chose  this 
in  preference,  both  from  humility  and  iu  order 
to  be  less  observed.  But  she  did  not  gain  her 
end ;  for  those  present  perceiving  the  frequent 
and  wonderful  raptures  of  her  soul  in  God — 
even  ladies  of  the  highest  nobility  strove  with 
eacli  other  to  place  themselves  at  her  side,  and 
to  feel  devotion  at  the  very  sight  of  her.  Hav- 
ing gone  early  one  morning  to  church  with  the 
other  ladies,  her  relatives,  she  remained  the 
whole  morning  upon  her  knees,  as  motionless  as 
if  she  had  been  a  statue,  and  buried  in  profound 
contemplation.  The  hour  was  already  late  and 
near  noon,  and  consequently  the  ladies,  wishing 
to  return  home,  went  up  to  Mary  Ann  and 
saluted  her.  She  did  not  perceive  them  although 
they  called  her  several  times,  and  shook  her  by 
her  clotlies  and  by  her  arm.  Then  D.  Maria  de 
Faredes  raised  her  veil,  which  reached  almost 
to  her  very  feet,  and  with  her  companions  saw 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  165 


her  in  ecstacy,  transported  out  of  lierself,  with 
her  hands  crossed  u})on  her  breast,  lier  mouth 
wide  open,  mid  a  smile  pLaying  upon  her  lips, 
and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  fixed  on  hea- 
ven. Thev  would  not  disturb  her,  but  went 
home,  leaving  her  to  enjoy  the  delights  of  para- 
dise. 

She  felt  such  a  spiritual  relish  in  conversing 
of  God,  that  she  seemed  to  have  had  him  always 
present,  as  she  was  always  united  to  him  in 
mind  and  heart.  She  was  asked  one  day  by  D. 
Petronilla  of  St.  Bruno,  her  great  friend,  to  play 
her  a  tunc  on  a  kind  of  lute,  and  she  consented. 
But  after  a  few  moments  she  suddenly  stopped 
still,  with  her  hands  resting  on  the  strings,  and 
became,  as  it  were,  ecstatic  for  the  space  of  an 
entire  hour;  at  length,  coming  to  herself  and 
with  her  face  all  inflamed,  "  Oh,  Petronilla,"  she 
exclaimed,  "what  great  things  there,  are  in 
paradise !"  She  could  say  this  much  and  no  more, 
when  she  was  interrupted  by  the  vehemence  of 
her  affection  and  a  copious  shower  of  tears.  In 
her  solitude  also  she  kept,  as  we  said  before,  a 
musical  instrument,  and  with  it  she  was  wont  to 
raise  her  heart  to  God,  accompanying  the  music 
with  her  voice.     But  it  happened  very  often 


166  MARY  ANN   OP  JESDS. 


that  after  a  few  moments  slie  was  obliged  to 
cease  altogether,  being,  overcome  by  the  inte- 
riour  emotions  of  her  affections.  She  had  com- 
posed for  her  own  use  some  stanzas  in  rhyme, 
and  they  were  burning  asi)irations  of  her  love 
towards  God.  Hence  we  are  not  to  be  surprised 
that  some  of  the  witnesses  testified  tliat  they 
frequently  heard  in  her  rooms  a  chorus  of  the 
sweetest  voices;  and  since  there  is  no  doubt 
that  she  was  alone,  their  suspicion  was  not  im- 
probable that  the  angels  united  their  voices  with 
hers  to  praise  together  their  common  Creator. 

Every  thing  which  came  under  her  eyes  served 
as  an  occasion  to  her  to  raise  her  heart  to  God, 
therefore  she  was  often  seen  all  inflamed  with 
the  divine  love,  fainting  and  languishing  like  a 
pure  lily  before  the  scorching  beams  of  the  sun. 
The  plants,  the  flowers,  the  herbs,  the  waters, 
all  creatures  were  so  many  voices  to  her,  which 
made  her  heart  throb  with  joy.  I  will  say, 
moreover,  that  in  the  evils  and  miseries  of  this 
world  she  found  a  motive  to  love  God  more  and 
more.  Conversing  one  day  with  D.  Eleonora 
Rodriguez,  they  began  to  speak  together  of  the 
calamities  and  dangers  which  are  encountered 
in  this  mortal  life :  in  which  conversation  the 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  167 


servant  of  God  became  very  much  excited,  and 
turning  to  tliat  pious  ^ady,  she  told  her  that 
when  she  considered  the  miseries  of  this  life 
and  the  dangers  which  are  found  in  it,  she  be- 
came inflamed  as  a  burning  coal,  and  fled  for 
refuge  to  the  side  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  there 
took  up  her  repose. 

But  the  most  convincing  proof  which  we  have 
of  her  great  love  of  God  was  undoubtedly  the 
great  desire  she  had  of  suffering,  and  of  suffer- 
ing much,  and  of  suffering  more  and  more  every 
day.  There  were  two  causes  wliich  aroused 
within  her  heart  these  generous  desires,  viz  :  to 
become  conformable  to  the  image  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  hope  that  her  sufferings  would 
sliorten  her  days,  and  unite  her  eternally  to  her 
God.  In  her  prayers,  and  especially  on  Fridays, 
slic  was  accustomed  to  ask  of  our  Lord  that  he 
would  give  her  much  to  suffer,  and  the  power 
of  cxhi!)iting  to  Him  some  correspondence  of 
love.  When  she  was  afterwards  attacked  by 
those  long  and  painful  infirmities,  her  ordinary 
relief  was  to  repeat  witli  unalterable  peace, 
"  May  it  be  all  for  the  love  of  God."  At  other 
times  she  was  in  the  habit  of  saying,  willi  great 
affection — '-Oh,  if  one  could  enjoy  God!  oli,  if 


168  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


one  could  die  for  love  of  Him !  oh,  if  one  could 
die  to  enjoy  Him!''  Speaking  one  day  with 
Petronilla  of  St.  Bruno,  she  candidly  confessed 
that  she  felt  herself  burning  and  consuming  in- 
teriourly  with  the  fire  of  the  divine  love.  Then 
like  one  in  an  ecstacy  she  went  on  repeating: 
"Do  you  know,  0,.sister,  that  one  of  my  feet  is 
already  swelling,  but  it  gives  me  no  pain ;  for 
the  desire  which  I  have  of  enjoying  my  God  is 
so  great  that  death  alone  will  satisfy  me ;  1  de- 
sire nothing  but  to  die  soon.  St.  Gertrude,  my 
patroness  and  mother,  was  pleased  to  visit  me, 
and  after  consoling  me  with  her  words  has  told 
me  that  my  Spouse  has  prepared  for  me  seven 
precious  rings.  Oh,  that  one  could  die  for  love 
of  Him!  oh,  that  one  could  be  entirely  con- 
sumed with  his  love !  oh,  could  one  die  in  order 
to  enjoy  Him  forever  !"  Having  said  this,  with- 
out another  word,  she  suddenly  left  the  com- 
pany and  withdrew  to  her  rooms. 

Not  content  with  the  horrible  tortures  which 
she  voluntarily  inflicted  on  her  body,  she  had 
a  holy  envy  for  those  martyrs  who  had  suffered 
more  in  hatred  of  the  faith  for  the  love  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Having  heard,  one  evening,  the  passion 
of  a  holy  martyr  read,  she  became  so  inflamed 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  169 


that  slic  prayed  our  Lord  to  make  her  suffer 
some  extraordinary  torment.  Having  therefore 
gone  to  bed,  after  a  short  sleep  she  awoke  with 
her  whole  body  racked  with  terrible  pains,  one 
foot  being  contracted,  an  arm  palsied,  her  tongue 
Inarched  and  wounded,  and  her  whole  person  so 
bruised  and  sore  as  to  be  unable  to  move  with- 
out the  assistance  of  others.  Her  relatives 
hastened  to  her  and  anxiously  inquired  the  cause 
of  so  great  an  aflliction.  She  dissembled  a  little, 
but  when  she  saw  that  they  were  going  to  send 
immediately  for  the  physicians,  she  told  them, 
with  a  great  deal  of  simplicity,  that  they  should 
not  trouble  themselves  about  her  sufferings; 
tliat  they  were  the  delights  of  her  heavenly 
Spouse,  sent  her  to  satisfy,  in  some  manner,  the 
ardent  love  she  had  of  suffering  for  the  faith. 
And  she  related  that  it  seemed  to  her  in  her 
sleep  that  she  had  been  actually  in  the  islands 
of  Japan,  where  those  barbarians  had  tormented 
her  with  no  ordinary  cruelty.  It  was  i)rccisc]y 
at  this  time  that  the  persecutions  against  the 
Japanese  Christians  were  raging  with  the  great- 
est violence:  and  Mary  Ann,  reading  the  ac- 
counts which  came  thence,  was  inflamed  every 
day  more  and  more  with  the  desire  of  partaking 

15 


170  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


also  in  the  like  torments,  and  it  was  sometimes 
miraculously  granted  her  by  Almighty  God. 
She  even  once  hinted  to  one  of  her  more  confi- 
dential friends,  that  the  acute  pains  which  she 
was  then  suffering  corresponded  exactly  to  the 
torments  inflicted  on  the  martyrs  in  Japan.  And 
she  continued  no  less  than  three  months  in  this 
state  of  painful  martyrdom. 

Father  Luca  della  Cueva  related  in  his  depo- 
sition that,  having  gone  to  visit  Mary  Ann,  who 
was  lying  sick  in  bed,  and  having  been  greatly 
edified  to  see  that  in  place  of  complaining  of  her 
painful  malady,  she  burnt  with  a  desire  of  suf- 
fering still  more,  he  recited  to  her  that  passage 
of  Job,  (ch.  vi.  8,)  Who  will  grant  that  my  re- 
quest may  come,  and  that  he  that  hath  begun 
may  destroy  me  ;  and  that  this  may  he  my  com- 
fort, that  afflicting  me  with  sorrow  he  spare 
not?  which  was  precisely  in  accordance  with 
the  spirit  of  the  servant  of  God.  That  after 
having  briefly  expounded  and  commented  upon 
it,  he  told  her  of  what  had  happened  in  Toledo, 
in  Spain,  to  a  very  virtuous  young  lady,  and  a 
penitent  of  Father  Baldassarre  Alvarez,  that 
great  spiritual  master.  This  lady  had  been 
sent,  without  any  fault  of  hers,  into  the  prisons 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  171 


of  the  holy  Inquisition,  and  remained  tliere 
without  justifying  herself,  as  she  could  easily 
have  done.  But  Father  Alvarez  taking  uj)  her 
defence,  she  obtained  her  liberty.  At  wliich 
the  fervorous  young  lady  was  not  only  not 
pleased,  but  going  to  Father  Alvarez  expostu- 
lated with  him  saying:  "Ah,  Father,  my  Father! 
how  I  regret  that  I  lost  the  chance  of  receiving 
two  hundred  lashes  in  the  public  streets  of  To- 
ledo?" Wishing  to  signify  by  this  that  she, 
without  any  fault  on  her  side,  would  gladly  have 
sulimitted  to  any  ill  treatment  for  the  love  of 
God.  When  he  had  finished  his  narration, 
Fatlicr  dellaCueva  asked  ;^rary  Ann  "  If  she  were 
also  ready  to  be  beaten  through  the  streets  of 
Quito?"  And  she  immediately  replied,  "I  am 
ready,  perfectly  ready ;"  and  she  added,  more- 
over, that  "she  said  it  with  all  her  heart."  The 
words  of  the  Father  remained  afterwards  so 
deeply  engraven  upon  her  mind,  that  being 
obliged  a  few  days  later  to  start  for  his  missions 
among  the  heathens,  aft(^r  several  months  he 
received  a  letter  from  Mary  Ann,  in  which  she 
entreated  him  to  send  her  in  writing  that  sen- 
tence of  Job,  in  order  that  she  might  have  it 
continually  before  her  eyes  and  meditate  upon 


172  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


it  In  fine,  to  be  brief,  the  love  she  had  for 
suffering  was  insatiable,  and  she  seemed  to  know 
of  no  other  happiness  than  humiliations,  infirmi- 
ties, pains,  which  were  dearer  and  more  pre- 
cious, just  as  they  were  more  sensible  and  pain- 
ful, glorifying  God  in  them,  for  whose  love  she 
rejoiced  in  sufferings. 

"VVe  must  now  speak  of  the  two  principal 
effects  of  her  love  towards  God,  which  are  the 
care  she  had  of  never  offending  him  in  the  least, 
and  of  always  keeping  her  soul  united  to  him 
by  means  of  prayer.  As  to  Mary  Ann's  great 
purity  of  conscience  I  shall  be  very  brief,  giving 
only  the  testimony  of  her  confessors,  all  of  whom 
affirmed  with  one  voice  that  for  the  space  of 
twenty-six  years  that  she  lived,  she  never  stained 
her  baptismal  innocence,  not  only  by  no  serious 
sin,  but  not  even  by  the  smallest  deliberate  ve- 
nial transgression.  Every  morning,  before  going 
to  communion,  she  presented  herself  at  the  tri- 
bunal of  penance,  and  there  shed  an  abundance 
of  bitter  tears  of  repentance,  as  if  she  had  been 
the  greatest  sinner  in  the  world.  And  yet  she 
3ever  had  any  thing  of  which  to  accuse  herself, 
except  some  trifling  levities  and  inadvertencies 
committed  in  the  first  years  of  her  life,  before 


MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS.  173 


she  had  attained  the  full  use  of  reason.  Besides 
the  two  general  and  particular  examens  which 
she  made  every  morning  and  evening,  at  every 
hour  of  the  day  she  recollected  herself,  and  care- 
fully scrutinized  her  every  action  to  sec,  I  will 
not  say  if  she  had  committed  any  defect,  hut 
whether  she  had  performed  them  in  the  best, 
most  perfect  and  pleasing  manner  to  God. 

Hence  we  must  not  be  surprised  if  she  ob- 
served, with  the  greatest  exactness  and  perfec- 
tion to  her  death,  tlie  vow  of  virginal  chastity, 
by  Avliieh  she  bound  herself  to  God  forever,  be- 
fore she  had  attained  her  eighth  year.  The 
purity  of  her  soul  and  body  was  always  extreme; 
and  her  confessors  themselves  knew  not  what 
other  name  to  give  it  than  by  saying  that  it  was 
altogether  loonderful,  rare,  singular,  extraordi- 
nary, angelical.  Father  Camaccio  attested  that 
Mary  Ann  had  made  a  voiv  of  purity  and  vir- 
ginity, ivhich  she  preserved  unstained  by  the 
least  thought  or  imagination  which  could  cast  a 
shadow  or  blemish  upon  it.  And  Father  Mono- 
Balvas  affirmed,  under  oath,  that  her  chastity 
was  angelical,  and  thai  she  never  accused  herself 
of  any  thing  that  was  at  all  contrary  to  holy 
purity ;  and  she  was  accustomed  to  give  God 

15* 


174:  MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS. 


thanks  that  she  did  not  even  krhow  what  it  was. 
And  Father  Roxas  added,  that  according  to  her 
belief,  things  contrary  to  purity  never  entered 
the  minds  of  virgins.  By  a  singular  favour  of 
heaven,  therefore,  Mary  Ann  had  the  extremely 
rare  privilege  of  being  entirely  free  and  exempt 
from  every  interiour  combat,  and  from  the  least 
rebellion  of  the  flesh. 

The  fact  is,  it  was  sufficient  for  any  one  to 
become  enamoured  with  purity  merely  to  look 
at  her ;  her  face  reflected  the  interiour  beauty 
and  innocence  of  her  soul :  and  she  was  so  ex- 
tremely jealous  of  it  that  she  observed  the 
strictest  watch  to  preserve  it  from  every  breath 
that  could  tarnish  it.  Both  in  going  to  the 
church  as  well  as  in  returning,  her  carriage  was 
slow,  extremely  modest,  with  her  face  covered 
and  her  eyes  fixed  upon  the  ground :  and  when 
she  was  stopped  by  any  one  desirous  of  speaking 
to  her,  she  disengaged  herself  in  few  and  Avell- 
measured  words  as  soon  as  she  could.  She  never 
admitted  a  male  person  into  her  rooms;  and 
once,  when  Maria  de  Paredes,  her  relative,  in- 
formed her  that  a  man  was  at  the  door  who 
desired  to  consult  her  about  some  doubts  of  his 
soul,  between  wonder  and  horror  she  exclaimed. 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  175 


"And  what  is  this?  A  man  wants  to  speak 
with  me  ?  I  pray  you  that  you  bring  no  man  to 
speak  AviUi  me,  and  if  lie  will  return  again  you 
will  say  to  him  that  I  have  no  permission  of  my 
confessor  to  speak  with  him,  and  if  he  come  to 
confer  with  me  on  any  business  of  importance, 
lethim  go  and  consult  the  Fathers  of  the  Society." 
It  will  be  seen  still  better  by  the  following 
incident,  how  extremely  delicate  she  was  in  this 
regard.  A  member  of  the  Royal  Audience  of 
Quito,  a  man  well  advanced  in  years,  distin- 
guished for  his  good  sense,  and  a  man  of  emi- 
nent piety,  on  account  of  the  great  and  wonder- 
ful things  he  had  heard  of  her,  had  conceived 
the  highest  opinion  of  Mary  Ann's  sanctity,  and 
desired,  the  first  opportunity  he  should  have,  to 
see  her  and  become  personally  acquainted  with 
her.  He  happened  to  meet  her  one  day  in  the 
public  street,  when  she  was  on  her  way  home 
from  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  and  being  struck 
with  her  angelic  modesty  and  the  profound  re- 
collection of  her  carriage,  he  stopped  to  behold 
her,  and  when  she  was  sufiiciently  near,  he  pre- 
sented himself  before  her,  humbly  asking  her 
that  she  would  recommend  him  to  God ;  after 
this  he  extended  his  hands,  and  in  token  of 


176  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


reverence  and  respect  embraced  her.  At  this 
unexpected  occurrence  the  chaste  virgin  blushed 
deeply,  and  without  saying  a  word,  as  if  beside 
herself  for  shame,  fled  quickly  home,  where  she 
had  hardly  arrived  before  she  burst  into  a  flood 
of  tears,  as  if  she  had  committed  some  great 
fault  or  crime.  After  having  given  vent  to  her 
grief  for  some  tim'e,  she  related,  still  weeping 
to  D.  Sebastiana  her  niece,  what  had  happened 
to  her ;  and  when  the  other,  after  hearing  the 
cause,  began  to  console  him,  saying,  that  "  she 
had  no  reason  to  afflict  herself,  since  there  was 
no  malice  in  the  act,  and  she  was  not  at  all  ac- 
cessory to  it;"  "yes,"  replied  the  servant  of 
God,  "all  this  I  know  and  believe,  and  in  truth 
it  is  as  you  say :  nevertheless,  what  will  my 
Divine  Spouse  say,  who  is  jealous  of  my  honour?" 
She  allowed  herself  no  peace,  till  it  seemed  to 
her  that  she  had  cancelled  by  her  many  au^ 
severe  penances  every  shade  of  sin  that  mighi- 
have  been  contracted  by  her. 

Up  to  the  last  moments  of  her  life  there  waa 
nothing  which  she  recommended  with  greater 
earnestness,  and  left  it  besides  in  writing,  than 
that  as  soon  as  she  was  dead,  her  sister  D.  Gir- 
olama,  and  her  niece  D.  Giova,nna,  with  anothe^ 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESDS.  177 


lady,  her  confidant,  should  dress  her  body  with 
tlie  greatest  decency,  and  should  not  allow  any 
other  ladies  to  a})j)roach  to  touch  it.  For  the 
same  reason  she  begged  of  Almiglity  God,  with 
many  prayers,  that  her  body  should  not  be  pre- 
served uncorrupt  after  her  death ;  because  slie 
did  not  like,  as  she  told  her  confessor,  to  be 
seen  and  handled  by  any  one  although  a  corpse. 
And  in  fact  we  shall  see,  in  its  proper  place, 
that  she  miraculously  gave  signs  of  the  repug- 
nance she  felt  in  this  regard  even  upon  her  bier, 
when  some  person  approached  to  kiss  her  in 
token  of  respect. 

The  virginal  modesty  and  purity  of  Mary 
Ann  were  so  well  known  and  public  all  over  the 
city  of  Quito,  that  no  one  ever  dared  to  use 
language  towards  her  that  could  be  in  the  least 
offensive,  except  a  certain  individual  who  was 
a  perfect  stranger  to  her.  "Whilst  she  was  one 
day  in  the  church,  perfectly  recollected,  and 
with  her  heart  and  mind  fixed  on  God,  an  im- 
pertinent young  man  coming  in  by  accident,  ap- 
proached her  and  with  bold  effrontery  requested 
her  to  uncover  her  face.  For  some  time  Mary  Ann 
paid  no  attention  to  the  fellow's  insolent  de- 
mand ;  but  when  he  became  bolder,  and  insisted 


178  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


on  it  for  the  third  time,  the  modest  young  lady, 
as  if  inspired  by  Almighty  God,  raised  her  veil 
a  little  which  concealed  her  head  and  face,  and 
in  a  firm  and  resolute  voice  said  to  him — "  What 
do  you  wish,  sir  ?  I  am  here  learning  how  to 
die,  you  sir,  do  the  same,  if  you  wish  to  save 
your  soul."  And  having  said  this  she  turned 
to  wrai3  herself  up  as  before  in  her  cloak. 
Whether  it  were  the  tone  of  voice,  or  really,  as 
some  of  the  witnesses  deposed,  he  saw  in  place 
of  Mary  Ann's  face,  by  a  miracle,  nothing  less 
than  a  horrible  skull,  the  impudent  fellow  seeing 
her  turn  and  speak  to  him  in  that  manner,  was 
completely  abashed,  and  trembling  from  head  to 
foot,  ran  and  fied  into  the  sacristy  of  the  same 
church,  where,  trembling  from  head  to  foot,  he 
related  to  those  he  found  there  what  had  oc- 
curred, who,  instead  of  compassionating  him, 
rebuked  him  severely,  calling  him  a  devil  for 
daring  to  tempt  that  angel  of  modesiy  and  in- 
nocence. 

It  is  true,  that  after  this  the  spirit  of  dark- 
ness was  the  only  external  enemy  who  endea- 
voured to  disturb  the  peace  of  Mary  Ann,  and 
Almighty  God  permitted  it  as^a  greater  trial  of 
her  virtue.     A  great  number  therefore  of  devils, 


MART  ANN   OP  JESUS.  179 


taking  visible  forms,  presented  themselves  fre- 
quently before  this  innocent  virgin  in  horrid 
and  lewd  shapes.  When  she  saw  these  disgust- 
ing images  before  her  she  was  filled  with  a  holy 
horror,  and  shutting  her  eyes  raised  her  niind 
and  iieart  to  God,  entreating  him  to  come  to  her 
aid  and  rescue :  and  this  alone  -was  sufficient  to 
put  the  whole  host  of  these  malicious  spirits 
immediately  to  flight.  Failing  in  this  attempt, 
tlie  infernal  enemy  tried  a  more  cunning  artifice. 
One  day,  Avhen  ]Mary  Ann  was  in  church,  a  very 
tandsome  and  polite  young  man  accosted  her, 
who,  presenting  liimself  to  her  in  a  very  fascin- 
ating manner,  oflcred  his  services,  giving  every 
evidence  of  his  admiration  of  her.  By  a  super- 
natural light  the  cliaste  virgin  saw  at  first  sight 
ihrough  the  treacherous  mask  which  the  devil 
Had  assumed  to  deceive  her;  therefore,  without 
more,  with  an  air  of  scorn  and  cutting  sarcasm, 
She  told  him,  that  he  should  make  these  offers 
of  service  and  regard  to  God  his  Creator,  and 
ask  pardon  of  him  for  his  intolerable  pride.  As 
for  herself,  being  a  poor  miserable  sinner,  she 
ft-as  in  no  way  worthy  of  being  esteemed  or 
honoured  by  any  one.  Tlic  proud  spirit  could 
not  stand  these  words,  and  disappeared  in  an  ic. 


180  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


stant,  nor  did  he  ever  afterwards  molest  tlie 
servant  of  God  on  this  point. 

Finally,  I  am  persuaded  that  that  most  deli- 
cious odour  which  the  body  of  Mary  Ann  ex- 
haled, and  which  communicated  itself  to  every 
thing  which  she  used,  was  the  effect  or  demons- 
tration of  her  immaculate  purity.  Such  at  least 
was  the  unanimous  opinion  of  all  the  witnesses 
who  gave  evidence  in  the  different  processes. 
They  said  that  both  her  person  as  well  as  her 
clothes,  sent  forth  almost  always  such  a  fragrant 
odour,  that  had  they  not  known  her  abhorrence 
for  every  kind  of  delicacy,  they  would  have 
been  convinced  that  she  made  use  of  the  most 
precious  perfumes.  And  Catharine  the  Indian 
affirmed,  that  when  she  entered  her  rooms,  she 
perceived  an  odour  which  might  be  called  hea- 
venly. The  blood  taken  from  her  veins,  besides 
preserving  its  purity,  emitted  an  agreeable 
odour:  a  most  beautiful  lily  sprung  from  it,  as 
we  shall  relate  more  at  large  in  its  proper  place. 
The  same  odour  of  lilies  was  perceived  many 
years  after  her  death,  not  once,  but  many  time^ 
in  the  apartment  formerly  inhabited  by  her 
And  finally,  it  can  be  said,  that  the  miracle  still 
continues  down  to  our  own  day,  since  her  bones, 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  181 


although  left  for  a  long  time  in  unslaclvcd  limo, 
preserve  still  at  the  present  moment — even  the 
smallest  fragments,  an  aromatic  and  most  agree* 
able  odour,  as  every  one  may  judge  for  himself. 
But  wliat  we  have  briefly  said,  will  suffice  fo2 
the  present,  as  we  intend  to  speak  of  it  more  in 
detail  in  another  place. 


CHAPTEH    XI. 

THE  HIGH  DEGREE  OP  PRAYER  TO  WHICH  THE 
BLESSED  MARY  ANN  WAS  RAISED  BY  ALMIGHTY 
GOD.  THE  CONTINUAL  BUT  VAIN  ASSAULTS  OF 
THE  DEVIL  TO  DIVERT  HER  FROM  IT.  THE  HEROIC 
RESIGNATION  AND  PATIENCE  SHE  DISPLAYED  IN 
TIME  OF  ARIDITY  AND  DESOLATION  OF  SPIRIT. 
GOD  PROVIDES  HER  WITH  AN  EXPERIENCED 
DIRECTOR  WHO  CONSOLES  HER. 

Let  us  now  come  to  prayer,  which  is,  as  we 
said  above,  another  effect  of  cousummate  charity. 
How  the  Blessed  ^lary  Ann  of  Jesus  advanced 
in  this  holy  exercise,  from  grade  to  grade,  her 
very  infancy  gives  evidence,  as  the  Holy  Ghost 
himself,  without  the  aid  of  human  instruction. 

16 


182  MART  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


taiiglit  lier  to  withdraw  herself  from  tlie  most 
familiar  friends  and  hide  herself  in  the  woods, 
or  in  some  secluded  part  of  the  house,  and  there 
remain  in  prayer  with  such  interiour  satisfaction 
that  hours  passed  away  as  if  they  were  moments, 
and  she  became  insensible  to  every  thing  ex- 
teriour.  As  slie  advanced  in  years,  and  by  the 
continual  practice  of  meditating,  she  reached 
that  best  and  most  perfect  degree,  which  is  to 
ko«p  the  mind  always  fixed  on  God,  and  ab- 
sorbed in  the  highest  contemplation.  Father 
Camaccio  affirmed  this  of  her  in  these  express 
words — "Our  Lord  raised  her  to  the  highest 
degree  of  contemjDlation,  which  consists  in  know- 
ing God  and  his  perfections  without  reasoning, 
and  of  loving  him  without  interruption."  And 
the  same  thing  all  her  other  confessors  con- 
firmed, adding  that  "  she  never  lost  sight  of  her 
God,  having  him  always  present  by  the  most 
intimate  communication  of  spirit,  and  that  to 
have  material  for  contemplation,  she  had  no 
farther  need  of  books  or  any  other  thing,  since 
all  that  she  saw  or  heard  served  as  a  ladder  to 
mount  to  God  and  repose  in  him,  loving  him 
with  her  whole  heart." 
■    The  time  which  she  expressly  allotted  to  it 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  183 


always  consisted  of  many  hours  of  the  day  and 
of  theni.irht;  for  it  can  be  truly  said  that  her 
whole  life  was  one  prolonged  meditation  and 
prayer.  And  this  was  observed  by  those  of  her 
own  liousehold,  who  almost  always  found  her  on 
her  knees  immovable,  and  praying  with  such 
intensity  that  it  was  not  sufficient  to  call  her 
several  times,  or  shake  her  very  forcibly  in 
order  to  make  her  recover  her  senses.  Neither 
was  she  herself,  although  anxious  to  avoid  any 
exteriour  demonstration,  such  a  mistress  of  her 
own  actions,  inasmuch  as  she  could  not,  when 
she  wished,  recall  her  mind  from  this  continual 
abstraction.  AVhat  were  the  special  illumina- 
tions, tlic  extraordinary  lights,  the  favours,  the 
delights  and  the  heavenly  sweetnesses  which 
she  imbibed  from  prayer  with  those  other  en- 
joyments which  Almighty  God  communicated 
to  her  soul  in  his  conversation  with  her,  are 
only  really  known  and  appreciated  by  those  who 
have  experinced  them.  We  can  only  say  that 
great  indeed  must  have  been  the  advantages 
and  fruit  which  she  derived  from  that  familiar 
communication  with  her  Beloved,  since  the 
devil  employed  every  means  to  disturb  her  in 
this  holy  exercise. 


184  MARi    A^■J\    OP  JESUS. 


Sometimes  there  issued  from  under  the  little 
altar,  before  which  Mary  Ann  prayed  in  her 
room,  a  great  quantity  of  egg-shells  which,  being 
put  in  motion  without  any  visible  cause,  struck 
against  each  other  and  made  a  considerable 
noise ;  at  other  times  a  small  knife  was  seen  to 
move,  as  if  in  the  hand  of  some  unseen  person, 
which  would  approach  her  neck  and  seem  about 
to  strike  it.  But  the  servant  of  God  very  soon 
discovering  the  pitiful  artifice  of  the  tempter, 
would  not  even  deign  to  turn  her  head,  or  give 
herself  the  least  uneasiness.  The  enemy  being 
provoked  at  this,  appeared  to  her  in  a  visible 
and  more  horrible  form,  threatening  her  with 
a  sword  in  his  hand.  But  she  told  him,  with 
great  peace  and  tranquillity,  that  "  he  was  losing 

his  time,  hoping  in  that  manner  to  divert  her 
from  her  meditation ;  that  she  was  a  weak  and 
sinful  creature,  but  had  placed  all  her  confi- 
dence in  her  heavenly  Spouse,  who  would  pro- 
tect her."  The  devil  being  again  overcome, 
changed  his  manner,  and  began,  under  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  horrible  mastiiF,  to  bark  and  ruu 
up  and  down  the  rooms.  Mary  Ann,  for  some 
time,  bore  with  this  annoyance,  but  at  last  she 
took  the  resolution  to  go  up  to  him  boldly  and 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  185 


catch  him,  and  liavinti;  secured  him  tied  him  to 
the  foot  of  the  bed.  This  having,  hy  some 
means  or  other,  come  to  the  knowledge  of  one 
of  her  nieces,  she  asked  her  "If  she  were  not 
afraid  to  catch  the  devil  with  her  hands  and  tie 
him  in  that  manner?"  And  she  replied,  "Why- 
should  I  be  afraid  of  that  dog,  which  can  do 
nothing  but  bark? '"'  She  said  no  more,  and  im- 
mediately changed  the  conversation. 

The  evil  one  did  not  however  merely  confine 
himself  to  threats  and  barking  only,  but  several 
times  vented  his  rage  against  her  by  striking 
her  and  maltreating  her  in  every  part  of  her 
body,  and  especially  her  tongue,  which,  as  some 
of  the  family  deposed,  was  seen  one  morning 
hanging  from  her  lips,  suspended  only  by  a  thin 
thread  of  skin.  Mary  Ann  was  not  frightened 
at  this;  but  having  replaced  her  lacerated 
tongue  in  her  mouth  with  her  own  hands,  and 
collected  her  strength  the  best  way  she  could, 
she  went  to  the  church,  communicated,  and  re- 
turned home  perfectly  cured.  I  will  add,  in 
conclusion  to  this  subject,  the  relation  of  a  sin- 
gular adventure,  in  which  it  would  be  difficult 
to  say,  whether  the  constancy  or  generosity  of 
mind  of  our  saint  were  more  conspicuously  dis- 

16* 


186  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


played.  One  night,  whilst  she  was  buried  in  a 
profound  meditation,  she  perceived  that  the 
light,  which  she  always  kept  burning  in  her 
apartment,  was  suddenly  extinguished :  and 
knowing  well  that  this  was  one  of  the  usual  in- 
sults offered  her  by  the  devil,  without  caring 
about  relighting  the  lamp,  she  approached  the 
coffin  in  the  dark,  and,  taking  out  the  skeleton, 
stretched  herself  in  its  place  in  order  to  continue 
her  prayer  in  peace.  The  next  morning,  at 
day-break,  she  rose  from  the  coffin  and  deliber- 
ately opened  the  window-shutter  in  order  to 
give  light  to  the  room.  Here  a  spectacle  met 
her  eyes  which  she  had  not  expected.  The 
skeleton  was  no  longer  lying  upon  the  floor, 
where  she  had  placed  it,  but  was  standing  erect 
upon  its  feet,  and  leaning  against  the  wall,  with 
its  dry  hands  crossed  upon  its  breast,  and  wear- 
ing a  most  dreadful  and  terrible  look.  Mary 
Ann  did  not  faint  away  at  the  sight,  because  she 
was  supported  in  a  special  manner  by  Almighty 
God,  but  she  could  not  but  feel  a  lively  and 
natural  horror.  For  a  moment  she  stood  mo- 
tionless and  irresolute :  then  a  ray  of  light  pene- 
trating her  mind,  she  knew  that  this  must  be  a 
new  trick  of  the  enemy  to  frighten  her,  sprin- 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  187 


kled  the  skeleton  with  holy  water,  and  courage- 
ously taking  it  up  in  her  arms  immediately 
turned  to  place  it,  as  it  was  before,  in  the  cofTin. 
But  the  longest  and  most  painful  battles  which 
Mary  Ann  had  to  encounter  for  her  greater 
merit  did  not  come  from  hell  but  from  heaven. 
Some  years  had  passed  in  an  undisturbed  peace 
and  security,  when  all  at  once  she  found  herself 
involved  in  the  midst  of  the  darkness  of  obscu- 
rity and  perplexity,  with  her  lieart  oppressed 
1)V  aridity  and  desolation  of  spirit.  Losing  all 
taste  and  relish  for  the  tilings  of  God,  tlie  very 
attempt  of  applying  herself  to  prayer  or  of  read- 
ing any  spiritual  book  was  one  and  the  same 
tiling  as  to  feel  herself  oppressed  witli  a  deep 
sadness  and  annoyance.  The  trial  Avas  indeed 
hard  and  difficult  for  a  soul  so  enamoured  with 
God,  and  accustomed,  from  her  tender  years,  to 
be  always  united  to  him,  and  to  revel  in  the 
delights  of  paradise.  Father  Camaccio,  her  con- 
fessor, went  so  far  as  to  say  that  "the  tedious- 
uess,  the  desolation  and  the  interiour  anguish 
which  she  suffered  were  such  that  they  would 
long  before  have  deprived  her  of  life  had  not 
God,  in  his  wisdom,  miraculously  preserved  it  in 
order  to  increase  her  merit.  In  this  multiplicity 


188  MARY  ANN    OF   JESUS. 


of  afllictions,  far  from  despondency,  she  perse- 
vered with  heroic  constancy  firm  in  the  divine 
love,  observing  exactly  the  distribution  of  time 
prescribed  for  prayer,  and  seeking  continually 
in  the  midst  of  darkness  her  Beloved,  who 
seemed  purposely  to  hide  himself  for  the  pur- 
pose of  increasing  her  sufferings. 

She  had  always  in  her  prayer,  as  Father  Ca- 
maccio  informs  us,  earnestly  begged  of  God  that 
he  would  conduct  her  by  the  way  of  tribulations 
and  not  by  that  of  heavenly  delights :  and  hence 
seeing  herself  now  at  last  heard,  it  seemed  that 
she  should  have  rejoiced  at  it.  But  as  God  or- 
dained, two  grievous  fears  assailed  her  at  the 
very  moment.  In  regard  to  men  she  was  afraid 
lest  she  should  appear  to  them  troublesome  and 
annoying  on  account  of  her  melancholy,  or  of 
losing  in  speaking  her  usual  affability  and  meek- 
ness :  and  in  respect  to  God  she  feared,  lest  she 
had  merited  on  account  of  her  sins,  that  the 
Lord  should  withdraw  himself  from  her,  and 
therefore  she  regarded  as  the  chastisement  of  a 
guilty  and  ungrateful  soul,  tliat  which  the  Lord 
had  permitted  in  his  other  servants  to  render 
them  stronger  and  more  generous  in  his  love. 
In  this  manner,  deprived  of  every  interiour  con- 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  189 


solation,  and  besides  this  fearful  of  not  being 
pleasing  to  her  Spouse,  the  more  faithfully  she 
advanced  in  the  love  of  God,  and  hence  in  per- 
fection and  virtue,  so  much  the  more  she  turned 
this  love  itself  into  a  terrible  martyrdom. 

To  crown  the  series  of  her  troubles,  she  was 
unexpectedly  deprived  of  Father  John  Caraaccio 
her  confessor,  in  whom  she  had  placed  all  her 
confidence.  God  permitted  that  the  Superiours 
of  the  Society,  being  at  some  variance  of  opinion 
with  regard  to  the  daily  communions  of  Mary 
Ann,  should  judge  it  advisable  to  change  his 
residence  and  send  him  to  labour  in  another 
College  far  from  Quito.  By  this  unforscen  ac- 
cident the  servant  of  God  found  herself  in  a 
double  abyss  of  trouble  and  affliction,  first  be- 
cause it  seemed  to  her  that  she  had  been  the 
cause  of  the  Father's  removal,  and  secondly  be- 
cause by  his  departure  she  had  lost  an  expe- 
rinced  director  who,  having  regulated  her  con- 
science from  her  tender  years,  could  then,  more 
than  any  one  else,  afi"ord  her  assistance  and 
comfort.  Nevertheless,  conquering  herself  by 
an  act  of  pure  virtue,  she  submitted  with  heroic 
resignation  to  the  divine  will,  and  was  perfectly 
ready  to  continue  without  any  solace  to  her 


190  MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS. 


death  in  that  state  of  affliction.  Father  Camac- 
cio  being  gone,  she  took  Father  Monosalvas  for 
her  confessor,  who  had  already  many  times 
directed  her  in  her  spiritual  concerns ;  and  she 
was  just  beginning  to  breathe  a  little,  when  she 
was  also  deprived  of  him,  being  called  to  a  dis- 
tant place  to  perform  various  services  for  the 
glory  of  God.  She  finally  selected  Father  Luigi 
Vasquez,  Rector  of  the  University  of  Quito,  a 
wise  and  learned  man,  but  not  at  all  suited  to 
have  the  direction  of  her  soul.  He  guided  her 
by  a  way  not  adapted  to  the  interiour  disposi- 
tions in  which  she  actually  was,  nor  applicable 
to  her  present  wants ;  and  she  suffered  herself 
to  be  directed  by  him,  and  obeyed  him  to  the 
very  letter  in  every  thing,  although  he  was  well 
aware  and  saw  by  experience  that  the  bitterness 
of  her  spirit  and  her  interiour  desolations  daily 
increased.  She  shed  burning  tears,  begging 
light  and  assistance  not  to  go  astray  in  such  a 
state  of  uncertainty,  and  in  the  midst  of  such 
palpable  darkness;  and  at  last  God,  moved  to 
pity  at  the  afflictions  of  his  faithful  servant, 
after  so  long  an  experiment,  consoled  her,  mak- 
ing her  hear  one  night,  whilst  she  was  in  the 
act  of  praying,  these  clear  and  distinct  words : 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  191 


"  Go  to  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  as  is  your 
custom;  and  speak  and  open  your  wliole  inte- 
riour  to  the  first  religious,  who  will  enter  the 
church  by  the  door  of  the  chai)cl  of  St.  Xavier. 
lie  will  be  your  spiritual  father  and  assist  you." 
It  was  hardly  day  before  Mary  Ann  hastened 
to  the  church,  and  having  placed  herself  upon 
her   knees   opposite  the  door  of  the  Sacristy, 
which    was    contiguous   to   the   chapel   of  St. 
Francis  Xavier,  saw  a  lay-brother,  after  a  few 
minutes,  enter  the  church  by  that  door,  a  man 
of  much  simplicity  and  of  great  perfection,  who 
was  well  known  all  over  the  city.    By  means  of 
the  Sacristan  she  requested  to  speak  with  him, 
but  he  excused  himself,  saying,  that  "he  could 
not  talk  to  her  without  the  permission  of  his 
Superiour."  This  very  reply  confirmed  her  more 
and  more  that  he  must  be  the  one  whom  God 
has  destined  to  be  her  guide  and  master  in  the 
ad'airs  of  her  soul :  and  therefore  having  imme- 
diately obtained  the  permission  of  the  Superiour 
of  the  College,  she  unfolded  to  him  standing, 
just  as  he  was,  in  one  corner  of  the  church,  her 
state,  opening  her  whole  soul  to  him.    The  good 
brother,  upon  hearing  such  extraordinary  acts 
of  virtue  and  perfection,  was  so  much  consoled 


192  MAEY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


and  out  of  himself,  that  returning  to  the  Sacristj 
he  could  not  refrain  from   exclaiming   in  the 
fervour  of  his  joy — "  Oh,  how  admirable  is  God 
in  his  Saints !     This  young  lady  is  nothing  less 
than  another  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna;  she  is  an 
angel  in  flesh."     And  this  is  that  brother  Fer- 
dinando  della  Croce,  whom  God,  in  the  secrets 
of  his  wisdom,  has  selected  to  be  the  director 
of  a  soul  so  dear  to  and  beloved  by  him.    From 
the  very  first  interview  they  contracted  that  in- 
teriour  communication  of  soul,  which  afterwards 
continued  to  the  death  of  Mary  Ann.     It  seemed 
at  first  to  many  a  very  strange  thing,  and  not  at 
all  according  to  the  rules  of  human  prudence ; 
but  in  the  end  all  agreed  in  admiring  the  won- 
derful, dispositions  of  Almighty  God,  who  often- 
times makes  use   of  means  in  appearance  the 
weakest  and  most  unfit   to   accomplish  great 
things,  and  selects  the  simple  and  the  humble 
of  heart  to  confound  the  pride  of  the  wise  of 
this  world. 

And  as  for  Mary  Ann,  she  was  so  consoled 
from  that  first  and  brief  conversation  she  had 
with  Ferdinando,  that  all  her  darkness  was  im- 
mediately dissipated,  every  anxiety  banished* 
and  her  former  serenity  of  mind  and  peace  o^ 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  193 


heart  again  restored  to  her.  But  it  will  be 
better  to  hear  herself  in  her  letter  to  Father 
Monosalvas:  "God,"  said  she,  "is  a  i^ood  con- 
soler of  the  poor  and  the  desolate.  May  he  be 
forever  blessed  :  Amen.  My  Father,  ever  since 
1  advised  with  brother  Ferdinando  della  Croce 
about  the  affairs  of  my  soul,  I  am  leading  a  very 
joyful  life,  and  his  words  have  afforded  me  much 
consolation.  The  fact  is,  my  Father,  he  is  a 
Saint.  I  only  confess  to  Father  Vasqncz.  God 
has  so  ordained  it:  who  can  resist  him?  May 
his  will  be  done."  And  in  another  letter  to  the 
same  Father  she  adds — "I  treat  the  concerns 
of  my  soul  with  brother  Ferdinando  della  Croce, 
and  he  gives  me  much  consolation.  His  only 
desire  is  that  I  be  a  Saint,  and  that  I  be  well 
grounded  in  the  virtue  of  humility,  in  order  to 
mount  to  the  summit  of  perfection  by  the  steps 
of  faith,  hope  and  charity.  It  is  a  commou  say- 
ing, that  he  who  treats  with  a  wise  man  will 
soon  be  wise :  this  brother  is  a  Saint."  Thus 
she  wrote  with  her  own  hand. 

Then  after  having  returned  infinite  thanks  to 
Almighty  God  for  having  at  length  deigned  to 
look  down  upon  her  with  a  favoural)le  eye,  she 

gave  a  very  minute  account  to  Ferdinando  of 

17 


194  MAEY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


every  thing  that  had  taken  place,  up  to  that 
hour,  in  her  soul ;  explaining  to  him  all  her  ex- 
ercises of  piety,  her  penances,  her  method  of 
prayer  and  the  favours  she  received  from  God. 
She  submitted  to  his  approval  her  diary,  or  the 
distribution  of  the  hours  and  the  actions  of  the 
day ;  and  in  every  thing  she  abandoned  herself 
to  his  guidance  and  direction,  not  wishing,  if  it 
were  possible,  to  move  so  much  as  a  step  with- 
out the  consent  of  Brother  Ferdinando.  She 
used,  therefore,  to  ask  permission  for  the  small- 
est things,  and  she  did  not  dare  to  follow  her 
own  will  in  any  thing.  If  afterwards  the  least 
doubt  occurred  to  her  mind,  when  at  home, 
whetlier  she  ought  to  undertake  or  leave  off  any 
thing,  she  never  wished  to  use  her  own  judg- 
ment, but  wrote  the  matter  briefly  upon  paper 
and  sent  it  to  her  director,  and  in  the  meantime 
awaited  his  reply. 

This  minuteness  in  the  exercise  of  virtue, 
which,  to  the  eyes  of  the  prudent  of  the  world, 
who  have  no  idea  of  perfection,  will  seem  more 
like  littleness  of  mind,  is  so  pleasing  to  God 
that  he  sometimes  rewards  it  with  evident  mira- 
cles. D.  Maria  Arias  testified  in  the  process 
that,  "  being  one  evening  in  the  apartment  of 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  105 


Mary  Ann,  and  some  doubt  occurring  to  her 
mind  how  she  should  act  in  an  aflair  of  little 
consequence,  the  servant  of  God  took  a  pen  in 
her  liand  and  wrote  a  note  asking  tlie  advice  of 
her  director.  The  hour  being  late,  D.  Maria 
was  anxious  to  find  out  who  would  carry  that 
note  to  the  College  of  the  Jesuits;  and  she 
aflSrmed  upon  oath  that,  without  having  seen 
any  person  start  from  the  house  nor  any  one 
return  to  it,  in  a  short  time  she  found  in  the 
hands  of  Mary  Ann  the  answer  written  by 
Brother  Ferdinando  della  Crocc,  and  which  was 
read  in  her  jH-esence."  And  she  added,  that 
"  out  of  the  respect  she  entertained  for  the  sanc- 
tity of  the  servant  of  God,  she  dared  not  ques- 
tion her  how  it  had  happened:  but  that  she  was 
fully  persuaded  that  God  wished  by  this  miracle 
to  authenticate  the  perfect  subjection  and  de- 
pendence which  she  professed  towards  her  di 
rectors." 


196  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE  LOVE  AND  DEVOTION  OP  THE  BLESSED  MAEY 
ANN  FOR  THE  MOST  AUGUST  TRINITY,  FOR  THE 
MYSTERIES  OF  THE  LIFE  OP  CHRIST,  FOR  THE 
MOST  HOLY  VIRGIN  AND  HER  PATRON  SAINTS. 

Certain  works  of  piety,  which  we  call  devo- 
tions, which  assist  to  keep  the  mind  elevated 
above  material  things,  and  the  heart  united  to 
God,  are  also  parts  of  prayer.  And  although 
to  some  they  may  seem  to  be  things  of  little 
moment,  still  seeing  them  not  only  practiced 
but  strongly  recommended  by  the  Saints,  we 
ought  to  set  a  high  value  on  them,  at  least  with 
respect  to  the  source  from  which  they  take  their 
rise,  which  is  wont  to  be  charity  and  religion. 
Mary  Ann  had  also  hers,  and  she  practiced 
them  during  the  whole  course  of  her  life. 

And  in  the  first  place,  she  always  honoured, 
as  we  have  signified  in  many  places,  with  an 
especial  veneration  the  most  august  mystery  of 
the  adorable  Trinity.  She  was  particularly  de- 
vout to  the  three  divine  persons,  and  as  if  they 


MART   ANN   OF  JESUS.  197 


were  present  to  her  corporeal  eyes,  paid  them 
the  most  profound  acts  of  adoration.  Every  day 
she  recited  on  her  knees  and  with  her  arms  ex- 
tended in  the  form  of  a  cross,  the  Apostles' 
creed  thirty  times,  enlivening  her  faith  in  the 
most  holy  Trinity,  and  thanking  him  for  the 
immense  benefits  conferred  upon  men.  In  the 
solemn  commemoration  which  the  church  makes 
every  year  of  this  mystery,  she  passed  many 
hours  in  it^  contemplation;  she  adorned  in  the 
best  manner  she  could  her  domestic  little  altar, 
and  invited  her  relatives  and  nieces  to  enter  her 
apartment,  and  there  recite  some  devout  prayers. 
Being  particularly  devoted  to  all  the  myste- 
ries which  related  to  the  life  and  passion  of 
Jesus  Christ,  she  had  frequently  in  her  mouth 
and  often  repeated  the  following  cjaculatory 
prayer:  *•  Blessed  be  the  hour  in  which  my  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  took  human  flesh,  was  born,  died,. 
and  rose  again,  ascended  into  heaven,  and  in 
which  he  instituted  the  most  holy  Sacrament  of 
the  Eucharist."  For  the  solemnity  of  Christmas 
she  prepared  herself  every  year  by  a  devout 
novena,  accompanied  with  severe  penances  and 
mortifications:  and  she  caused  all  tlie  domestics 
to  do  the  same  in  the  best  manner  they  could 

17* 


198  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


As  that  holy  night  drew  near,  Mary  Ann  could 
not  contain  her  joy.  She  passed  it  before  a 
representation  of  the  manger,  either  in  singing 
devout  hymns  in  honour  of  the  new-born  babe, 
which  she  accompanied  with  a  stringed  instru- 
ment, or  in  pouring  forth  the  warmest  and  most 
tender  afiFections  of  her  amorous  heart.  And 
with  good  reason,  for  it  is  said  that  the  divine 
Infant  sometimes  favoured  her  with  his  presence 
and  allowed  himself  to  be  seen  and  tenderly 
caressed  by  her.  In  proof  of  it  I  will  here  re- 
late a  fact  which  I  find  recorded  in  the  process 
of  beatification. 

Cosimo  di  Salazar,  son  of  the  niece  of  D. 
Giovanna  di  Casso,  when  he  was  quite  a  young 
child,  once  entered  Mary  Ann's  apartment,  and 
beginning  to  run  about  the  rooms  with  childish 
liberty,  chanced  to  espy  his  aunt,  who  was  wholly 
taken  up  with  her  eyes  fixed  upon  a  beautiful 
little  Infant,  which  she  was  holding  in  her  arms. 
The  child  at  this  sight  immediately  turned  back 
and  ran  to  call  his  mother,  that  she  might  come 
and  see  his  aunt,  who  was  caressing  a  little  child. 
D.  Giovanna  knew  very  well  that  the  servant 
of  God  was  alone,  and  therefore  having  strong 
suspicions  of  what  was  really  the  case,  softly 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  199 


entered  IMary  Ann's  rooms,  in  order  to  examine 
every  tiling  very  carefully,  but  unfortunately 
she  met  ^lary  Ann  coming  out,  who  perhaps 
from  having  overheard  the  words  of  the  young 
Cosimo,  dreaded  a  discovery,  and  therefore  was 
very  anxious  to  conceal  the  fact,  who  said  to 
lier — "Why  do  you  suffer  little  boys  to  enter 
my  rooms?"  Her  niece  pretended  not  to  have 
understood  her ;  and  turning  back  she  began  to 
question  her  son  minutely  about  the  thing,  in 
order  to  find  out  what  child  it  was  that  he  had 
seen  his  aunt  holding  in  her  arms,  and  he  with 
wonderful  simplicity  and  innocence  pointing 
with  his  little  hand  to  a  frame,  in  wliich  the 
most  Blessed  Virgin,  with  the  child  Jesus  in 
her  arms,  was  painted,  said  to  his  mother  that 
"  that  was  the  very  child  whom  his  aunt  ^\'as 
pressing  to  her  bosom  :"  thus  from  the  mouth  of 
the  innocent  child,  incapable  of  feigning  or  of 
telling  a  lie,  was  discovered  the  great  favour 
conferred  by  Almighty  God  on  his  beloved 
servant. 

I  shall  say  nothing  of  her  vehement  love  to- 
wards the  passion  of  the  Redeemer,  and  the 
most  blessed  Eucharist,  having  already  Avritten 
enough  upon  these  points  in  the  course  of  this 


200  MART   ANN   CF  JESUS. 


history.  From  the  former,  in  which  she  con- 
temphited  the  excessive  love  of  the  Son  of  Grod, 
who  carried  his  love  so  far  as  to  give  his  body 
and  blood  for  the  salvation  of  men,  she  learnt 
how  to  return  the  love  of  one  who  had  sub- 
jected himself  for  love  of  her  to  unheard  of 
ignomiuios  and  torments;  and  from  the  other, 
in  which  is  contained  the  fountain  itself,  and  the 
author  of  life  and  grace,  she  imbibed  strength 
and  vigour  for  soul  and  body  to  advance  and  in- 
crease every  day  in  perfection  and  a  more  inti- 
mate union  with  God. 

In  proportion  to  the  love  which  she  bore  to 
the  Son  of  God,  was  her  devotion  towards  his 
most  holy  Mother.  She  imbibed  it,  we  may  say, 
with  her  milk,  and  increased  in  it,  always  giving 
new  proofs  of  her  affection.  She  recited  every 
morning  by  herself,  as  we  saw  in  her  distribution 
of  time,  the  holy  Eosary ;  and  in  the  evening 
she  repeated  it  over  again  with  the  family. 
Every  day  also  she  recited  the  whole  of  the 
little  office  of  the  Virgin,  divided  into  separate 
parts,  and  gave  to  each  part  the  time  and  hour 
prescribed  for  it.  For  all  the  festivals  of  our 
Lady  she  prepared  herself  with  extraordinary 
fervour,  and  increased  her  prayers  and  penances; 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  201 


and  on  the  festival  itself  she  distributed  to  the 
poor,  Avitli  the  permission  of  her  brother-in-law, 
more  abundant  alms.  There  was  in  the  street, 
opposite  to  one  of  the  windows  of  her  apart- 
ment, a  devout,  chapel  dedicated  to  the  most 
Blessed  Virgin  called  of  the  angels,  to  which 
Mary  Ann  frequently  turned,  imploring  her 
blessing  from  a  distance,  and  to  wliom  she  paid 
her  devotions.  She  sent  every  Saturday  to  this 
chapel  two  wax  candles  and  several  boquets  of 
flowers;  and  in  order  not  to  be  discovered,  slie 
made  use  of  an  Indian  woman,  who  secretly  car- 
ried this  pious  offering.  She  succeeded  in  keep- 
ing the  thing  a  secret  for  some  time;  but  at  last, 
the  sacristan  being  moved  by  the  desire  of  find- 
ing out  the  person  who  regularly  sent  that 
present,  one  Saturday  cautiously  folbwed  the 
Indian,  and  having  seen  her  enter  the  house  of 
Mary  Ann,  went  in  after  her,  and  presenting 
himself  before  the  servant  of  God,  gave  her  a 
thousand  thanks.  But  she,  interrupting  him  in 
the  middle  of  his  discourse,  "  Mav  God  o-iant 
us,"  said  she,  "his  grace  and  knowledge  to  serve 
his  Blessed  Mother;  happy  is  the  man  who  serves 
so  great  a  Lady :"  and  having  said  this,  she  po- 
litely took  her  leave  without  wishing  to  hear 


202  MAEY   ANN    OP   JESUS. 


any  tiling  further.  In  the  church  of  the  Jesuits 
she  passed  long  hours  before  an  altar  of  our 
Lady  of  Loretto;  and  she  experienced  such 
sensible  delight  that  she  seemed  unable  to  tear 
herself  away  from  it.  She  often  spoke  of  Mary 
with  such  spiritual  delight  and  tenderness  of 
affection,  that  it  was  evident  the  mouth  spoke 
from  the  abundance  of  the  heart.  My  Queen, 
my  Mistress,  my  Mother,  Virgin  of  Virgins,  and 
such  like  were  the  glorious  titles  dictated  by  her 
tender  love  towards  the  most  holy  Virgin ;  and 
when  uttering  them  her  whole  face  would  be- 
come inflamed,  her  eyes  sparkle,  and  her  whole 
person  so  agitated,  that  she  excited  in  every  one 
who  heard  or  saw  her,  fervorous  sentiments  of 
piety  and  devotion.  Whatever  graces  she  after- 
wards desired,  she  obtained  them  all  by  direct- 
ing her  supplications  to  this  divine  Mother.  To 
every  one  also  who  professed  himself  her  ser- 
vant, she  gave  assurance  that  his  petitions  would 
be  heard. 

The  proof  of  it,  she  said,  she  had  experienced 
in  her  own  case  from  childhood.  Whilst  she 
was  still  quite  a  young  child,  a  disease  settled 
on  one  of  her  fingurcs,  which,  besides  causing 
her   intolerable  pain,  threatened  to  terminate 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  203 


in  a  gangrene.     D.  Scolastica  perceiving  it,  ad- 
vised her  to  attend  to  it  and  call  in  the  assistance 
of  a  surgeon.     But  the  servant  of  God,  with  a 
joyful  countenance,  told  her  not  to  make  her- 
self uneasy  about  her,  that  there  would  be  no 
need  of  so  much  trouble :  after  this,  agitated  by 
an  iuteriour  spirit  which  moved  her,  she  rose 
and  added  : — "  Wait  a  little,  and  you  will  see 
how  I  will  cure  it."     Saying  this,  she  knelt 
down  before  an  image  of  the  most  Blessed  Vir- 
gin, and  full  of  confidence,  asked  her  assistance 
in  her  present  need ;  that  was  enough,  for  in  an 
instant  every  sign  of  the  ulcer  disappeared,  and 
her  finger  was  perfectly  cured.      She  herself 
was  astonished  at  the  quick  and  evident  miracle, 
and  warmly  begged  her  friend  to  keep  it  secret. 
Another  time  the  humours  that  collected  in 
her  eyes  caused  her  such  a  sharp  and  sensible 
pain  that  she  was  in  great  danger  of  going 
blind.    Various  remedies  were  applied  to  them; 
which,  in  place  of  giving  any  relief,  tended  only 
to  increase  the  merit  of  her  sufi'erings.     She 
then  had  recourse,  as  was  her  custom,  to  the 
patronage  of  the  most  Blessed  Virgin,  and  call- 
ing I).  Scolastica,  she  asked  her  to  place  a  pious 
image  upon  her  eyes.     And  the  fact  was,  that 


204  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


at  tlic  very  touch  every  vestige  of  tlic  obstinate 
humour  immediately  disappeared. 

Finally  she  cherished  an  especial  affection  for 
the  patriarch  St.  Joseph,  the  chaste  Spouse  of 
Mary,  for  her  Angel  Guardian,  St.  Ignatius  of 
Lyola,  St.  Francis  Xavier,  and  the  holy  Vir- 
gins SS.  Ursula,  Gertrude  and  Teresa  of  Jesus. 
Above  all  she  was  extremely  devout  to  St. 
Catharine  of  Sienna,  whom  she  purposed  speci- 
ally to  imitate,  as  St.  Kose  of  Lima,  her  model, 
had  done,  and  she  knew  her  whole  life  so  well 
by  heart  that  she  could  point  out  and  relate  the 
smallest  incident  nientioned  in  it.  An  attentive 
reading  of  the  lives  of  her  patron  Saints,  in 
order  to  imitate  them,  was  one  of  her  most 
pleasing  and  ordinary  occupations.  True  it  is, 
that  when  in  the  course  of  her  reading  she 
chanced  to  come  across  extraordinary  and  su- 
pernatural graces,  and  especially  when  she  read 
of  visions  and  revelations  she  passed  them  by, 
saying,  that  such  things  were  not  for  her,  who 
ought  to  walk  in  an  humble  and  lowly  path,  and 
attend  only  to  the  acquisition  of  solid  virtue. 
And  this  much  will  suffice  to  prove  what  we 
asserted  at  the  heading  of  this  chapter. 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  205 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE  ZEAL  OF  THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN  FOR  THE 
SALVATION  OF  SOULS.  HER  STRATAGEMS  TO 
BEING  BACK  TO  A  BETTER  LIFE  THOSE  WHO  HAD 
GONE  ASTRAY.  REMARKABLE  CONVERSION  OF  A 
NOBLE  INDIAN  LADY.  HER  CHARITY  TO  RELIEVE 
THE  TEMPORAL  WANTS  OF  HER  NEIGHBOUR  CON- 
FIRMED BY  ALMIGHTY  GOD  WITH  MIRACLES. 

A  LIFE  wholly  devoted  to  recollection,  to 
prayer,  to  the  interiour  culture  of  the  soul,  such 
as  we  have  liitherto  described  in  that  of  the 
IMcssed  ilary  Ann  of  Jesus,  may  seem  that  it 
might  liot,  or  would  not  have  leisure  or  time, 
and  per]iaj)s  not  even  the  inclination  to  labour 
lor  the  eood  of  others.  But  as  true  charity 
towards  God  is  never  separated  from  a  sincere 
love  towards  our  neighbour,  so  it  is  peculiar  to 
those  who  are  truly  pious,  as  was  the  case  with 
Mary  Ann,  to  make  use  of  every  exertion  and 
means  to  procure  advantage  to  others,  accord- 
ing to  their  state  and  condition  in  life.  She 
was  not  content  with  the  prayers  and  penances 
whicli  she  offered  up  every  day  to  God  for  the 
conversion  of  infidels,  heretics  and  sinners  of 

18 


206  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


every  description,   but  she  actively  interested 
liei'self  in  it  to  gain  these  objects. 

And  commencing  with  the  household,  slie  first 
of  all  took  charge  of  the  servants,  teaching  them 
the  mysteries  of  faith,  and  diligently  instructing 
them  in  every  thing  which  regarded  the  obliga- 
tions and  duties  of  a  Christian  life.  After  this, 
by  her  winning  manners,  she  induced  both  mas- 
ters and  servants  to  frequent  the  holy  Sacra- 
ments of  confession  and  communion  every  Sun- 
day and  solemn  festival  of  the  year ;  a  thing 
very  rare  in  those  days,  and  therefore  doubly 
difficult  for  her  to  bring  about.  The  day  before 
she  herself  informed  them  that  tlie  day  follow- 
ing would  be  the  daj^  for  communion ;  and  the 
better  to  prepare  the  more  ignorant  of  the 
family,  she  would  assemble  them  all  together, 
and  make  them  fervourous  exhortations,  exer- 
cising them  in  lively  acts  of  faith,  hope  and 
charity.  When  she  chanced  to  discover  any 
grievous  fault  committed  by  any  one  of  -the 
house,  after  weeping  over  it  before  God  and 
severely  punishing  it  in  herself,  she  undertook 
to  repair  it,  correcting  the  guilty  one  with  such 
love,  and  at  the  same  time  so  effectually,  that 
she  drew  from  them  sentiments  of  compunction 
and  resolutions  of  amendment.     It  may  be  seen 


itiY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  207 


from  a  single  fact,  which  I  shall  here  relate, 
how  mucli  she  strove  to  bring  back  to  the  i)ath 
of  duty  the  souls  of'hcr  domestics. 

Mary  Ann  had  taken  into  her  service  a  poor 
young  girl,  more  for  the  sake  of  preserving  her 
from  tiie  many  dangers  to  which  she  was  exposed 
than  that  she  had  any  need  of  her;  and  she  en- 
deavoured to  improve  her  heart  and  instil  into 
it  lively  sentiments  of  piety.  But  the  girl,  al- 
though she  had  continually  before  her  eyes 
bright  examples  of  virtue,  instigated  by  the 
devil  and  her  passions,  suffered  herself  to  be 
drawn  away  from  her  good  resolutions  and  fell 
into  a  serious  fault;  and  at  the  same  time  con- 
ceived such  an  aversion,  and  as  It  Avere  hatred, 
for  her  mistress  that,  unaljle  to  endure  the  idea 
of  appearing  before  her  again,  thought  about 
abandoning  her  and  of  flying  aAvay  secretly. 
Wherefore,  one  night,  after  getting  every  thing 
ready  for  her  intended  flight,  she  was  already 
on  her  way  in  the  dark  tOAvards  the  staircase, 
when  whom  should  she  meet  but  Mary  Ann, 
who  had  come  out  of  her  apartment  contrary  to 
her  usual  custom,  and  who  requested  her  to  get 
her  a  light  and  come  along  with  her.  The  girl 
obeyed,  and  artfully  dissemljling  her  artifice, 
followed  her  mistress,  who,  when  she  was  come 


208  MAKY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


into  her  room,  made  her  sit  down  by  her  side, 
and  in  the  kindest  manner  asked  licr  why  she 
was  so  interiourly  disturbed,  and  whither  she 
thought  about  going-  at  that  late  hour?  It 
would  seem  but  natural,  that  seeing  the  guilty 
intention  which  was  concealed  in  her  mind,  and 
which  was  known  to  none  but  God,  discovered, 
it  would  have  been  sufficient  to  have  brought 
her  back  to  her  right  senses:  but  the  fact  was, 
that  becoming  worse  at  such  a  manifestation  of 
the  divine  mercy,  she  obstinately  denied  every 
thing,  and  merely  said  that  she  Avas  unable  to 
continue  longer  in  her  service.  Then  Mary  Ann 
spoke  in  plainer  terms,  telling  her  that  she 
should  reflect  well  on  the  step  she  Avas  about  to 
take,  and  not  suffer  herself  to  be  blinded  by 
passion ;  that  she  should  beware  of  that  which 
is  the  consequence  of  sin,  viz:  anxiety  of  mind, 
remorse  of  conscience,  enmity  with  God,  eternal 
sufferings ;  that  she  had  always  loved  her  as  lier 
daughtei-,  and  that  she  did  not  deserve,  after  all 
the  marks  of  love  she  had  shown  lier,  to  be  so 
vilely  abandoned  by  her.  She  then  embraced 
her  with  many  expressions  of  affection,  and 
said,  "Ah,  why  Avill  you  then  abandon  me? 
Why  will  you  forsake  me?"  The  girl  was 
moved  at  such  manifestation  of  affection,  but 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  209 


not  chanc^cd  in  mind;  and  that  very  same  night, 
doing  violence  to  licrsclf,  she  left  tlie  house  and 
miseralHy  abandoned  lierself  to  a  licentious  and 
dissolute  life.  It  was  well  for  her  that  her  kind 
mistress  never  ceased  to  offer  up  her  prayers 
and  penances  to  Almighty  God,  till  at  last  she 
oI)tained  her  sincere  conversion,  as  she  herself 
afterwards  deposed  to  the  glory,  as  well  as  in 
gratitude  for  the  charity,  of  Mary  Ann. 

The  efficacy  of  the' prayers  and  words  of  the 
servant  of  God  was  so  well  known  throughout 
the  city,  that  to  overcome  the  obstinacy  of  the 
most  hardened  sinners  they  recurred  to  her  as 
to  their  last  resort.     A  young  man  who  had  led 
a  very  bad  and  scandalous  life,  fell  grievously 
sick,  lost  the  use  of  his  senses,  and  was  dying 
in  the  public  hospital,  without  being  able  to 
make  his  confession.     Mary  Ann  was  informed 
of  the  dangerous  state  of  his  soul;  and  she  after 
a  short  prayer  obtained  for  him  the  recovery  of 
his  senses,  to  enable  him  to  receive  the  last 
Sacraments,  which  he  did  with  sentiments  of 
true  compunction,  and  then  departed  this  life. 
An  Indian  woman  also,  by  name  of  Giovanna  di 
Sanguera,  a  Moor  by  birth  and  a  slave  by  con- 
dition, found  in  !Mary  Ann  a  remedy  and  an 
escape  from  a  wretched  life  and  a  worse  death, 


18» 


210  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


which  her  barbarous  husband  wished  to  inflict 
on  her.  He  ran  about  like  a  madman  in  search 
of  his  wife  to  kill  her,  and  having  understood 
that  she  was  hearing  mass  in  the  church  of  the 
Jesuits,  he  went  thither  immediately,  carrying 
a  dagger  in  his  hand.  His  wife  no  sooner  per- 
ceived him  coming  in,  than  reasooably  fearing 
for  her  life,  she  ran  to  place  herself  near  the 
servant  of  God,  imploring  her  assistance  and 
mercy.  Mary  Ann  immediately  rose  to  her 
feet,  and  advancing  towards  the  savage  wretch, 
said  to  him  in  a  gentle  tone,  "Calm  yourself,  0 
son.  What  are  you  thinking  to  do  with  that 
dagger?  Do  you  not  see  the  horrible  crime 
which  you  are  about  to  perpetrate  ?"  And  she 
went  on  blending  so  much  sweetness  and  charity 
with  her  words,  at  one  time  reprehending  for 
his  sacriligious  attempt,  then  persuading  him  to 
enter  into  himself,  tliat  she  succeeded  in  calm- 
ing his  fury,  and  causing  him  to  become  ^.s  meek 
as  a  lamb.  After  this  she  comforted  the  still 
trembling  woman,  and  told  her  to  lay  aside  all 
fear  and  return  home,  because  from  thencefor- 
ward she  would  never  have  the  least  occasion 
of  complaint  against  her  husband,  as  in  fact  it 
turned  out. 
More  remarkable  still  was  the  change  effected 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  211 


in   D.   !^^aria  Duchizcla,  wlio,  after  Icadini^  a 
louse  and  unconstrained  life,  became  very  modest 
and  religious.     She  was  an  Indian  by  birth,  Init 
of  the  most  noble  blood,  being  a  descendant  of 
the  royal  family  of  the  Incas,  who  once  governed 
the  country  round  Quito.     She  was  very  punc- 
tilious in  point  of  honour,  and  being  proud  of 
her  beauty  and  the  abundance  of  her  earthly 
goods,  she  exhibited  more  pomp  and  show  than 
if  she  were  really  a  queen.  Being  come  to  Quito 
for  the  purpose  of  settling  some  disputes  in  the 
tribunal  of  the   Royal  Audience,  she  chanced, 
upon  a  certain  festival    to  hear  mass  in  the 
chapel  of  our  Lady  of  the  Angels,  which  was 
oi)posite,  as  we  said,  the  house  of  Mary  Ann. 
The  exteriour  of  the  young  lady  was  one  of 
pride,  her  dress  was  of  the  most  costly  material, 
her  head  and  neck  were  adorned  with  flowers, 
gold  and  pearls,  and  the  very  air  was  impreg- 
nated  around   her  with  perfumes    and   sweet 
odours.     She  seemed  to  have  come  thither  for 
the  purpose  of  attracting  attention,  and  not  for 
paying  her  adoration  to  her  God.  By  good  luck 
Mary  Ann  was  passing  by  tke  chapel,  on  her 
way  to  the  church  of  the  Jesuits,  and  hearing 
the  sound  of  the  little  bell,  at  the  time  of  the 
elevation,  immediately  stopped  and  knelt  down 


212  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


near  D.  Maria,  whom  she  had  never  known  or 
seen  before,  and  continued  praying  till  the  end 
of  mass.  And  when  this  was  over  she  turned 
to  the  young  lady,  and  in  the  sweetest  manner 
asked  her  name  and  whence  she  came.  The 
other  with  equal  affability  told  her  that  her 
name  was  Maria,  that  she  came  from  Parequis, 
her  native  place,  whither  she  would  return  in 
the  course  of  iifteeu  days.  Then  Mary  Ann 
seizing  the  good  opportunity  replied,  that  "  she 
congratulated  her  upon  the  beautiful  name  that 
had  fallen  to  her  lot;  that  she  should  conse- 
quently strive  to  nourish  a  special  devotion  to 
the  Queen  of  Angels,  endeavouring  to  imitate 
her  virtues.  Above  all,  she  should  beware  of 
wasting  and  throwing  away  such  endowments 
of  beauty  and  mind  with  which  she  had  been 
enriched,  but  should  rather  consecrate  them  to 
God,  studying  to  please  him  alone  and  not  the 
world,  which  is  a  traitor  and  abandons  us  in  our 
greatest  need.  As  to  your  returning  to  your 
country  after  fifteen  days,"  she  added  with  a 
smile,  "perhaps,  Signora,  it  may  not  be  so:  the 
most  Blessed  Virgin  will  inform  you."  Having 
said  this,  she  courteously  saluted  her  and  took 
her  leave.  The  affability  and  modesty  of  the 
servant  of  God  so  gained  upon  the  heart  of  D. 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  213 


Maria,  tliat  she  was  hardly  gone  before  slio 
asked  those  near  her  who  that  person  was ;  and 
having  been  informed  that  she  was  Mary  Ann 
of  Jesus,  a  most  innocent  and  holy  virgin,  of 
whom  she  had  heard  so  many  things  by  report, 
slie  burnt  with  a  desire  of  seeing  her  again,  and 
of  becoming  better  acquainted  with  her;  and 
immediately  went  in  pursuit  of  her  to  the  church 
of  the  Jesuits,  and  placing  herself  at  her  side, 
whispered  to  her  "to  be  pleased  to  recommend 
her  to  God."  Mary  Ann  replied  that  "she  had 
already  done  so,  and  would  do  so  again :  in  the 
meantime,"  she  added,  "  let  your  ladyship  open 
your  ears  to  the  interiour  voice  by  which  Al- 
mighty God  calls  you  to  his  service."  This  was 
the  second  and  last  time  she  spoke  to  hci-,  for 
the  servant  of  God  shortly  after  fell  sick  and 
died:  but  her  words  remained  so  deeply  en- 
graven upon  the  heart  of  the  lady,  that,  as  she 
herself  afterwards  confessed,  they  were  the 
cause  of  her  renouncing  every  vanity  of  the 
world,  and  of  giving  herself  entirely  to  God. 
Nor  was  the  sacrifice  small  which  it  cost  her  to 
carry  out  her  good  resolution;  for  from  a  state 
of  opulence  she  was  reduced  to  almost  absolute 
beggary,  and  had  to  break  off,  at  the  same  time, 
BO  many  dangerous  friendships  contracted,  live 


214  MAKY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


far  away  from  lier  native  laiicl,  abandon  her 
relatives,  and  renounce  all  the  advantages  and 
conveniences  of  life.  She  generously  trampled 
under  foot  every  worldly  consideration ;  despised 
the  honours  and  vanities  of  the  world,  overcome 
all  opposition,  and  triumphed  over  her  very 
nature,  for  from  being  of  a  very  haughty  and 
choleric  disposition,  which  would  sometimes 
cause  her  to  faint  and  lose  the  use  of  her  senses 
through  excess  of  anger,  she  became  in  this 
regard,  by  the  continual  practice  of  mortifica- 
tion, as  one  that  was  insensible  and  dead.  She 
never  returned  to  her  country,  as  it  had  been 
foretold  her;  but  following  the  counsel  given 
her  by  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  to  place  herself 
under  the  direction  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Society 
of  Jesus,  towards  whom  she  at  first  felt,  without 
knowing  why,  a  natural  aversion,  she  continued 
in  Quito  to  her  death,  and  led  a  truly  exemplary 
and  holy  life.  Not  content  with  that,  in  order 
to  repair  the  scandals  which  she  had  given,  she 
took  upon  herself  the  care  of  collectiug  poor, 
orphan  and  destitute  girls,  whose  virtue  was 
endangered,  and  having  given  an  asylum  to 
forty  of  them  in  her  own  house,  she  maintained 
them  all  on  the  alms  she  begged  from  the  pious, 
ou  the  profit  which  she  drew  from  the  labour 


MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS.  215 


of  her  own  hands,  and  carefully  instmcted  tliem 
in  Christian  piety  and  good  morals.  Finally, 
in  the  many  and  frequent  misfortunes  of  poverty, 
sickness  and  j)ersecutions  which  she  encoun- 
tered, she  found  no  better  aid  than  by  recurring 
to  the  intercession  of  Mary  Ann,  then  happy  in 
lieaven,  and  receiving  from  her  comfort  and 
succour  even  with  evident  and  stupendous  mira- 
cles, which  would  require  too  mucli  of  our  time 
to  relate  here  in  detail. 

For  the  sake  of  brevity  I  pass  .over  other  facts 
in  proof  of  the  zeal  which  our  Saint  had  for 
the  salvation  of  souls ;  and  I  come  now  to  say 
something  of  her  compassion  for  the  corporal 
necessities  of  her  neighbours.  From  the  time 
she  was  a  little  child,  as  was  said  before,  there 
was  nothing  that  pleased  her  more  than  to  dis- 
tribute with  her  own  hand  alms  to  the  poor, 
who  came  every  day  to  the  door  of  the  house. 
And  her  parents,  who  were  inclined  to  assist  the 
poor,  delighted  to  observe  in  their  daughter  the 
same  desire,  furnished  her  every  day  with  an 
abundance  of  bread  to  distribute  amongst  the 
poor.  And  she  did  it  with  such  a  grace  and  in- 
teriour  joy  of  soul,  that  afterwards,  when  she 
came  to  live  in  the  house  of  her  sister,  she  not 
only  did  not  leave  off  tin's  charitable  occupation, 


216  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


but  added  to  it.  For  besides  teaching  the  first 
rudiments  of  the  Christian  doctrine  to  all  those 
miserable  beings,  who  assembled  every  day  to 
receive  alms  from  her,  she  took  the  most  filthy 
and  ragged  of  them  aside,  and  with  her  own 
hands  fixed  their  dress,  cleaned  and  combed 
them.  It  was  certainly  a  moving  spectacle,  and 
many  came  to  witness  it,  to  behold  a  young  lady, 
belonging  to  one  of  the  first  families,  well  edu- 
cated and  refined,  whose  very  nature  abhorred 
every  species  of  uncleanness,  exercising  herself 
wdth  so  much  love,  as  if  she  were  a  maid-servant, 
in  those  vile  and  low  offices,  besides  being 
loathsome,  and  generously  overcoming  every 
natural  i-epugnance. 

From  the  time  she  consecrated  herself  to  God 
by  vows,  and  became  voluntarily  poor  for  the 
love -of  God,  she  could  never  dispose  of  any 
thing  as  her  own :  but  as  charity  is  wonderfully 
industrious,  it  tauglit  her  the  way  of  strictly 
observing  her  vow  of  poverty,  and  at  the  same 
time  of  showing  herself  liberal  and  generous  to 
the  poor.  She  asked  and  obtained  permission 
of  her  relatives  to  bestow  every  day  that  por- 
tion of  food  which  would  have  fallen  to  her 
share,  and  which  she  never  eat.  Besides  this, 
all  the  profit  which  she  gained  from  the  labour 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  217 


of  her  hands,  she  distributed,  with  the  consent 
of  her  confessor,  among  tlie  poor,  and  especially 
to  the  bashful,  or  to  families  that  were  once  in 
easy  circumstances  but  then  reduced.  In  like 
r^ianner  she  maintained  for  several  years  some 
destitute  widows,  several  little  girls  who  were 
in  danger,  and  a  good  priest  who  had  lost  the 
use  of  reason  in  consequence  of  the  poison 
given  him  to  drink  by  the  infidels,  among  whom 
he  had  laboured,  and  who  had  been  brought 
back  to  Quito  and  was  living  in  extreme  want. 
Wherefore  the  needy  of  every  description  con- 
fidently applied  to  Mary  Ann  as  to  their  mother; 
and  in  order  not  to  disturb  her  during  the  day 
from  her  usual  exercises  of  devotion,  they  were 
accustomed,  from  the  public  street,  to  throw  a 
pebble  at  the  shutter  of  a  window,  which  over- 
looked a  less  frequented  alley,  and  which  she 
always  purposely  kept  closed.  This  was  suf- 
ficient to  make  her  cast  down  immediately  to  the 
poorwhatcvermight  happen  to  come  to  her  hand. 
It  happened  not  unfrequently  that  God  con- 
curred to  stamp  the  charity  of  his  sevant  with 
manifest  prodigies,  a  few  of  which  I  shall  here 
set  down.  It  would  frequently  occur,  that  after 
having  distributed  to  the  poor  all  that  had  been 
assigned  by  the  family  for  them,  either  new 

19 


218  MARY  ANN    OF   JESUS. 


comers  would  arrive,  or  on  account  of  the  very 
great  number,  not  o.  few  would  remain,  who  liad 
been  unable  to  obtain  any  thing.  Mary  Ann 
was  sensibl}^  afllictcd';  and  her  compassionate 
heart  not  suffering  her  to  send  any  one  awa^f 
empty-handed,  full  of  confidence  she  was  seen 
to  re-enter  her  apartment,  and  after  a  short  time 
come  forth  again  witli  a  basket  full  of  the  wliit- 
est  bread  in  her  hand.  Tlio  domestics  frequentl}'' 
witnessed  this  and  agreed  together  to  watch 
attentively  and  see  who  brought  her  the  bread. 
But  all  their  diligence  was  to  no  purpose :  and 
they  were  obliged  to  conclude  that  God  miracu- 
lously furnished  it. 

Whenever  they  made  bread  at  home,  onr 
Saint  hastened  to  give  her  labour,  wishing  with 
her  own  hands  to  knead  a  certain  quantity, 
which  she  afterwards  distributed  to  a  poor 
family,  consisting  of  three  marriageable  daugh- 
ters, in  whom  she  took  much  interest,  on  account 
of  the  danger  in  which  they  were  of  going 
astray,  from  the  extreme  poverty  to  which  they 
were  reduced.  She  never  ceased  from  her  la- 
borious task,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of 
the  domestics,  who  considered  such  a  drudgery 
unbefitting  her.  After  having,  together  with 
them,  kneaded  the  dough,  she  took  from  the 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  •         219 


mass  a  small  quantity,  which,  as  tlie  witnesses 
aOirnicd,  scarcely  weiglicd  about  two  ounces; 
and  she  worked  it  so  that  she  formed  of  it  a 
loaf  more  perfect  and  whiter  than  tlie  rest,  and 
.when  it  was  baked  it  Avciglied  at  least, thirty 
ounces.  At  first  those  of  the  house  were  filled 
with  wonder,  but  afterwards  seeing  tlie  same 
thing  occurring  every  time,  they  spoke  of  it  as 
a  continued  and  ordinary  prodigy,  and  there- 
fore it  no  longer  excited  any  surprise  in  them. 

The  following  fact  is  also  confirmed  in  the 
juridical  depositions.  Her  brother-in-law,  as 
well  as  her  sister,  had  many  times  given  to 
Mary  Ann  full  power  to  take  from  the  dispen- 
sary and  granary  whatever  she  wanted  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor:  and  the  servant  of  God,  avail- 
ing herself  of  this  pious  liberality  of  her  rela- 
tives, frequently  took  from  the  one  and  the  other 
place  abundant  alms.  After  some  time  their 
curiosity  was  excited  to  see  how  much  she  took, 
but  in  spite  of  all  their  scrutiny  they  could 
uever  perceive  that  a  single  particle  of  any 
thing  was  missed.  At  which  D.  Cosimo  mildly 
expostidated  with  her,  as  if  she  doubted  the 
sincerity  by  which  lie  and  his  Avife  gave  her  full 
liberty  to  use  their  property  as  she  chose  for 
the  benefit  of  the  poor.     ]\Iary  Ann  replid  to 


220  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


him  in  a  very  bland  and  gay  manner,  and  told 
him  to  "give  himself  no  uneasiness  on  this  ac- 
count, for  she  and  her  poor  were  well  satisfied 
with  their  charity;  that  in  the  meantime  he 
should  return  thanks  to  Almiglity  God,  if  in 
recompense  of  their  charity  they  missed  no- 
thing." This  much  she  said,  and  then  Avas  silent. 
This  was  enough  to  show  that  God  by  a  miracle 
replaced  that  quantity,  which  his  servant  had 
taken,  as  necessity  required,  and  distributed  to 
the  needy. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

SUPERNATURAL  GIFTS  IMPARTED  TO  THE  BLESSED 
MARY  ANN  BY  ALMIGHTY  GOD.  SHE  SEES  HIDDEN 
AND  DISTANT  THINGS,  AND  PREDICTS  THE  FUTURE. 
SHE  MIRACULOUSLY  HEALS  MANY  PERSONS  OP 
MORTAL  DISTEMPERS  AND  RECALLS  A  DEAD 
WOMAN  TO  LIFE. 

These  were  not  the  only  acts  of  Mary  Ann 
which  surpassed  the  bounds  of  nature,  and  by 
which  it  pleased  Almighty  God  to  illustrate  her 
name  and  honour  her  merits  and  sanctity.  Al- 
though she  continually  asked  of  him  the  grace 
Of  never  being  privileged  or  distinguished  with 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  221 


extraordinary  g-ifts  and  favours  of  this  kind; 
nevertheless  Aliniglity  God,  as  a  reward  for 
such  humility,  and  for  the  glory  of  his  sacred 
name,  frequently  wished  to  exalt  her  in  the  eyes 
of  men;  and  besides  these  instances  which  we 
have  already  mentioned,  the  following  may  serve 
as  a  confirmation. 

Our  Saint  had  hardly  passed  to  a  better  life 
than  D.  Giovanna,  her  niece,  immediately  recol- 
lected every  thing  that  liad  been  told  her,  when 
Mary  Ann,  by  order  of  her  confessor,  had  un- 
folded to  her  the  inmost  secrets  of  her  soul. 
Among  the  other  things,  one  was  that  Jesus 
Christ  frequently  allowed  himself  to  be  seen  by 
her  in  the  consecrated  host,  under  the  appear- 
ance of  a  lovely  Infant,  filling  her  with  unspeak- 
able joy;  and  that  sometimes  she  tasted  the 
ineffable  delights  of  paradise,  when  she  received 
holy  communion,  it  seeming  to  her  that  she  sen- 
sibly received  the  holy  Infant  within  her  heart. 

Besides  this,  she  had  the  gift  of  seeing  hidden 
and  distant  things,  as  if  they  were  under  her 
eyes  and  present,  as  also  of  pronouncing  with 
uncertainty  on  the  future  events.  Many  facts 
of  this  kind  are  related  in  the  process  of  beati- 
fication, some  few  of  which  it  will  be  sufficient 
for  me  to  select  as  specimens  of  the  rest;  and  I 

19* 


222  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


shall  have  more  regard  for  variety  than  any 
particular  arrangement  of  facts.  She  wrote  a 
letter  to  Father  Antonio  Monosalvas,  who  was 
at  the  time  in  Riobaniba,  a  city  about  thirty 
leagues  distant  from  Quito,  and  in  it  she  said  to 
him:  "That  knowing  for  certain  that  he  was 
shortly  to  come  to  Quito,  she  took  the  lilierty 
of  sending  him  a  small  quantity  of  biscuits  to 
serve  for  his  journey."  JThere  was  then  no  rea- 
son, nor  any  order  why  the  Father  should  de- 
l^art  thence ;  but  a  few  days  afterwards  a  very 
serious  accident  occurred,  on  account  of  which 
the  city  council  deliberated  about  sending  a  wise 
and  prudent  person  to  Quito  to  transact  their 
business,  and  by  common  consent  the  choice  fell 
upon  Father  Monosalvas,  who  had  scarcely 
reached  the  capital  before  he  went  to  see  Mary 
Ann,  and  wished  to  know  from  her  how  she  ob- 
tained the  information  of  his  unexpected  desti- 
nation. She  told  him  frankly  as  to  her  con- 
fessor: "My  Divine  Spouse  knows  every  things 
and  he  also  knew  of  your  coming  here.  From 
him  I  had  the  information,  and  therefore  I  sent 
to  your  Reverence  that  small  quantity  of  bis- 
cuit." Thus  she  spoke,  and  she  added:  "that 
when  he  would  have  returned  to  Riobamba  he 
would  have  to  undergo  a  very  severe  tribula- 


MARY    AXX    OF   JESUS.  223 


tion,  hut  tliat  lie  should  not  be  afraid,  for  God 
would  soon  console  him,  as  in  fact  it  happened, 
and  as  he  himself  testified  in  the  juridical  pro- 
cess. 

Antonio  do  Paz  being  mortally  wounded, 
Catharine  his  mother  ran  immediately  to  the 
servant  of  God,  both  to  inform  her  of  the  sad 
accident  as  well  as  to  receive  from  her  some 
consolation  and  comfort.  But  scarcely  had  Mary 
Ann  seen  her  than  suddenly,  with  great  com- 
miseration, "I  know  already,"  said  she,  "why 
you  come :  but  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost ;  make 
him  go  to  confession  immediately  and  receive 
the  last  Sacraments,  as  he  will  soon  die ;  and  let 
this  misfortune  be  to  you  an  exercise  of  much 
patience,  and  an  entire  resignation  to  the  will 
of  God."  After  hearing  this  the  disconsolate 
mother  quickly  returned  home  and  frankly  told 
the  reply  of  Mary  Ann  to  the  sick  man :  and  he, 
without  more  ado,  prepared  himself  for  death 
with  true  sentiments  of  Christian  piety.  As 
soon  as  he  was  dead  Catharine  went  again  to 
the  servant  of  God,  but  the  hour  being  late,  and 
finding  the  doors  of  the  house  alreadv  closed, 
she  threw  a  peblile  at  the  window,  at  which 
Mary  Ann  immmediately  made  her  appearance, 
and  before  the   other  could  speak — "1  know 


224  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


already,  Catharine,"  said  she,  "  that  you  come 
pierced  with  grief  for  the  death  of  Antonio  your 
son.  But  don't  afflict  yourself,  rather  give  many 
thanks  to  the  Lord,  because  he  is  in  a  place  of 
safety." 

Still  more  wonderful,  on  account  of  the  cir- 
cumstances connected  with  it,  was  the  prediction 
which  she  made  of  his  approaching  death,  to  a 
man  in  the  bloom  of  health  and  of  a  perfectly 
sound  constitution.  This  man  having  for  several 
years  led  a  dissolute  life,  at  last  being  ashamed 
of  himself,  desired  to  rise  from  the  state  of  sin, 
but  from  the  habit  which  he  had  contracted  did 
not  know  how  to  come  to  the  resolution  of 
breaking  off  at  once  the  occasion  of  it.  By  good 
luck  God  put  it  into  his  heart  to  have  recourse 
to  Mary  Ann ;  and  having  waited  for  her  one 
morning  when  she  was  going  to  the  church,  with 
all  humility  and  candour  he  explained  to  her  his 
need,  and  prayed  her  to  be  pleased  to  recom- 
mend him  to  God.  She  replied  that  she  would 
do  so  willingly,  and  promised  to  offer  up  her 
lioly  communion  for  him  that  very  mo  ning. 
When  on  her  return  home,  a  little  before  noon, 
she  chanced  to  meet  that  poor  miserable  man  in 
the  street  again,  who  asked  her,  if  she  had 
obtained  the  grace  for  him  which  he  desired  ? 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  225 


She  then  raised  her  eyes  to  heaven,  and  stand- 
ing for  some  time  recollected,  told  him  these 
precise  words:  "Sir,  although  I  feci  a  delicacy 
in  speaking,  nevertheless,  as  it  too  nearly  con- 
cerns your  eternal  salvation,  I  will  speak  with 
all  sincerity.  Prepare  yourself  without  delay 
to  die,  for  within  eight  days  you  shall  have  ren- 
dered an  account  of  your  life  to  Jesus  Christ." 
The  man  was  thunder  struck  to  hear  such  an 
unexpected  intimation;  afterwards  taking  cou- 
rage, he  returned  to  his  own  home,  where,  being 
suddenly  seized  with  a  mortal  distemper,  he 
survived  precisely  eight  days,  which  he  spent  in 
continual  tears  and  acts  of  sincere  repentance, 
when,  having  received  the  last  Sacraments,  he 
died  with  great  signs  of  predestination. 

In  the  same  manner  she  predicted  to  Catha- 
rine Peralto,  a  little  girl  of  six  years  of  age,  and 
daughter  of  D.  Giovanna  her  niece,  that  she 
would  never  marry,  because  God  wished  her  for 
himself,  and  destined  her  for  a  life  of  no  ordi- 
nary sanctity :  as  it  afterwards  turned  out,  in 
spite  of  the  opposition  of  her  father,  who  per- 
sisted in  his  resolution  to  give  her  a  husband, 
and  had  already  made  all  the  necessary  prepara- 
tions. She  took  the  religious  habit  among  the 
bare-footed   Carmelites,   where   she  lived    and 


226  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


died  in  the  odour  of  sanctity.  D.  Giovanna 
had  another  son  by  name  of  Cosimo ;  the  very 
one  who,  as  we  said  before,  saw  Mary  Ann  with 
the  Infant  Jesus  in  her  arms.  Being  of  an  ex- 
tremely lively  and  restless  disposition,  and  fear- 
ing one  day  for  some  childish  fault  he  had  com- 
mitted, of  being  chastised  by  his  father,  he  fled 
for  protection  into  Mary  Ann's  apartment  which 
by  chance  he  found  open.  The  father  overtook 
him  there,  and  would  have  punished  him  on  the 
spot,  had  not  the  servant  of  God  interposed  by 
telling  him  that  Cosimo  would  one  day  become 
quite  a  different  person,  and  she  went  security 
for  him.  And  the  fact  was,  that  the  youth,  as 
if  he  had  changed  his  nature,  became  very  grave 
and  sedate,  and  a  few  years  afterwards,  bidding 
adieu  to  the  world,  he  entered  and  lived  a 
Religious  in  the  Society  of  Jesus. 

It  would  take  too  long  were  I  to  relate,  one 
by  one,  the  predictions  made  by  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann,  which  are  deposed  at  length  in  the 
process  of  beatification.  I  cannot  be  silent  here 
of  one  which  was  celebrated  all  over  the  city  of 
Quito,  and  which  was  moreover  accompanied 
with  so  many  and  such  prodigious  circumstances, 
that  on  this  account  also  it  is  woithy  to  be 
known.     One  day  Mary  Ann  was  rnturning  from 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  227 


the  church  in  company  with  her  nieces,  and  they 
had  i^one  l>iit  a  few  steps  when  the  rain  began 
to  fall  in  torrents.  IJer  companions,  in  order  to 
protect  themselves  the  best  way  they  could,  got 
close  to  the  wall,  under  the  eves  of  the  liouses, 
and  hastened  their  steps  to  procure  shelter.  But 
the  servant  of  God,  who  was  engrossed  all  the 
while  in  heavenly  things,  as  if  she  were  per- 
fectly unconscious  of  what  was  passing  around 
her,  proceeded  slowly  along  in  the  middle  of  the 
street,  where  there  was  a  complete  deluge  which 
poured  down  in  torrents  from  the  roofs  of  the 
houses.  When  she  entered  the  hall  of  the  house, 
where  her  nieces,  all  wet  and  disordered,  awaited 
her,  her  clothes  as  well  as  her  feet  appeared  to 
be  jierfoctly  dry,  although  she  had  to  walk  in 
tlie  midst  of  tlie  torrent,  Avhich  rushed  down  the 
declivity  of  the  street.  At  the  sight  of  her  they 
looked  at  each  other  in  amazement ;  and  at  the 
same  time  Mary  Ann,  becoming  aware  of  their 
surprise,  and  still  more  of  the  prodigy  which  she 
could  not  conceal,  anticipated  them,  saying  with 
a  sweet  smile:  "'Tis  well;  you  are  wet  because 
you  did  not  know  how  to  walk.  How  is  it?  I 
have  not  had  a  single  drop  of  water  upon  me, 
.and  you  are  so  wet?"  "But  we  had  not,"  re- 
plied one  of  them,  "as  you,  an  angel  who  de- 


228  MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS. 


fended  us  from  the  rain."  Mary  Ann  blushed 
and  quickly  changed  the  conversation :  but  with- 
out being  conscious  of  it,  from  one  prodigy  she 
passed  to  another,  which  was ,  probably  greater : 
for  leaning  against  a  little  pillar,  as  if  in  the  act 
of  resting  herself,  "this  house,"  said  she,  "will 
one  day  be  the  dwelling  and  monastery  of  bare- 
footed Carmelites,  nuns:"  then  going  up  stairs 
she  invited  her  companions  to  accompany  her 
through  the  house,  and  like  one  entranced, 
pointing  now  to  one  place,  now  to  another, 
"here,"  she  added,  "will  be  the  gate  of  the 
monastery,  there  the  refectory  and  the  kitchen; 
the  church  will  be  built  on  this  side  which  faces 
the  street ;  and  the  rooms  which  I  occupy  will 
be  the  choir.  Oh,  with  what  pleasure  will  the 
Carmelite  nuns  dwell  in  this  place !"  When  slie 
had  said  this  she  took  her  leave  and  shut  her- 
self up  in  her  apartment.  It  would  take  too 
long  to  recount  how,  notwithstanding  all  the 
difficulties  which  were  met  with,  a  few  years 
after  her  death,  the  words  of  Mary  Ann  were 
verified  to  the  very  letter.  Suffice  it  to  say, 
that  some  of  her  nieces  were  eye-witnesses  of 
the  fact,  having  become  nuns  in  the  very  same 
monastery. 

Many  Avondcrful  things  are  likewise  related 


MARY  ANN  OF   JESUS.  229 


in  the  jnridical  processes,  Avliicli  Almighty  God 
operated  by  the  prayers  and  the  touch  of  Mary 
Ann,  wliilst  she  was  still  alive.  She  cured,  in 
an  instant,  two  of  her  nieces  who  were  mortally 
sick,  by  only  giving  them  to  drink  a  sip  of  pure 
water.  Another  lady  was  suffering  severely 
from  a  sore  in  her  foot,  which  was  beginning  to 
mortify.  She  had  herself  brought  from  her 
country-seat  where  she  dwelt,  into  the  city  and 
implored  the  assistance  of  Mary  Ann.  Slie  only 
wet  the  sore  with  her  saliva,  and  it  was  all  that 
was  required,  for  in  a  short  time  it  was  per- 
fectly healed.  She  twice  delivered  her  sister, 
D.  Girolama,  from  imminent  danger  of  death  in 
two  difficult  cases  of  child-birth.  D.  Giovanua, 
niece  of  the  servant  of  God,  being  obliged  to 
leave  the  city  for  a  short  time,  left  in  her  charge 
a  little  daugliter  of  three  years  of  age,  Avho, 
whilst  playing  in  the  court-yard,  received  such 
a  terrible  kick  in  the  face  from  a  mule  that 
bruised  and  wounded,  it  fell  to  the  ground  with- 
out giving  any  signs  of  life.  Mary  Ann  being 
informed  of  it  immediately  raised  her  eyes  to 
heaven  and  said:  "Oh,  what  account  shall  1 
give  of  this  child  to  its  parents?"  She  ordered 
her  Indian  servant  to  bring  the  child  into  her 
room,  and  shutting  herself  up,  she  remained  in 

20 


230  MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS. 


prayer  for  about  an  hour ;  after  that  she  came 
forth  carrying  the  child  in  her  arms  perfectly 
sound,  with  only  a  very  small  scar  remaining 
on  the  forehead  where  it  had  been  struck. 

Maiia  de  Paredes  deposed  in  the  process  the 
instantaneous  cure  of  one  of  her  daughters,  in 
the  following  terms : — "  Eleonora,  daughter  of 
the  deponent,  having  fallen  sick,  and  her  life 
being  entirely  despaired  of  by  the  physicians, 
the  deponent  went  with  tears  in  her  eyes  to 
Mary  Ann,  to  beg  her  to  reconnmend  her  little 
daughter  to  God:  and  she  consoled  her  with 
telling  her  not  to  be  afflicted,  for  it  would  be 
nothing,  and  that  she  should  give  her  a  beverage 
composed  of  the  dried  leaves  of  roses,  Avhich 
had  been  upon  the  body  of  St.  Rose  of  Lima : 
and  having  sent  it,  she  gave  it  to  the  invalid  to 
drink,  who  immediately  recovered,  and  was  so 
thoroughly  cured,  that  from  that  time  she  never 
felt  any  symptom  of  her  former  disease." 

Maria  Rodriguez  likewise  attested  under  oath, 
"  that  an  Indian  woman,  by  the  name  of  Beatrix, 
a  slave  of  Giovanni  Salazar,  being  in  great  dan- 
ger from  the  labours  of  child-birth,  in  the  house 
of  the  servant  of  God,  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  the 
same  Mary  Ann  came  down  to  pay  her  a  visit, 
and  putting  her  hand  on  the  head  of  the  sufferer. 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  231 


said  : — '  ^May  it  please  the  Lord  to  rescue  you 
from  this  danger.'  And  hardly  had  slie  pro- 
nounced the  words  before  tlie  Indian  was  happily 
delivered.  The  child  was  immediately  bajitised, 
and  afterwards  died  the  same  day.  D.  Giovanna 
di  Casso,  her  niece,  wished  to  inform  the  servant 
of  God  of  it,  and  said  to  her,  that  the  little 
negro  was  dead,  for  w'hich  she  had  stood  sponsor: 
to  whom  Mary  Ann  replied,  '  that  it  was  born 
for  heaven,  and  therefore  God  had  taken  it  to 
himself  " 

Giovanna  Peralta  fell  sick  of  a  malignant 
fever ;  and  after  being  reduced  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity was  visited  by  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann, 
her  relative,  who,  after  consolingher  with  pious 
discourse,  when  on  the  point  of  leaving,  "Cour- 
age," said  she,  "  be  of  good  heart,  as  you  will 
not  only  not  die  of  this  sickness,  but  survive  me 
a  good  while."  The  disease,  however,  instead 
of  diminishing,  became  so  alarming  that  Catha- 
rine, in  order  not  to  be  present  at  the  death  of 
her  sister,  left  the  house  and  went  to  the  church 
of  the  Jesuits,  where  she  found  the  servant  of 
God,  who  again  confirmed  what  she  had  already 
said  in  regard  to  the  cure  of  the  sick  person. 
But  Catharine  giving  little  credit  to  it,  asked 
her  boldly  how  she  could  make  her  that  promise 


232  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


with  SO  much  assurance  ?  And  slie  replied,  "  1 
can,  on  the  promise  the  most  Holy  Virgin  has 
made  me."  Catharine,  hearing  this  reply,  re- 
turned immediately  home,  and,  to  her  great  sur- 
prise, found  her  sister  not  only  free  from  the 
fever  but  perfectly  cured. 

I  shall  close  this  chapter  with  the  relation  of 
a  still  more  wonderful  fact,  which  is  to  be  found 
in  the  process.     Two  Indians,  a  man  and  his 
wife,  lived  in  the  house  of  Mary  Ann ;   and  for 
some  time  they  lived  happily  and  amicably  to- 
gether.    After  some  years  the  husband  having 
conceived  an  unjust  and  false  suspicion  of  his 
wife,  like  a  brute  as  he  really  was,  determined 
without  more  ado  to  kill  her.    Wherefore,  under 
pretence  of  being  obliged  to  cut  wood,  he  took 
her  with  him  to  a  mountain  near  Quito,  and 
there,  in  the  heart  of  the  forest,   bound  her 
tightly  to  a  tree,  and  having  beaten  her  unmerci- 
fully with  a  knotted  club,  he  put  a  halter  round 
her  neck,  strangled  her,  and  threw  the  corpse 
down  a  precipice  from  a  high  rock,  in  order  to 
conceal  for  ever  all  traces  of  his  crime.     Mary 
Ann,  wrapt  in  spirit,  saw  from  her  room  all  that 
had  taken  place  in  the  distant  woods.     Calling 
to  her  a  good  tradesman,  who  kept  his  shop 
under  her  window,  she  begged  him  to  go  imme- 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  233 


diately-  to  the  mountain,  -where,  concealed  by  a 
certain  cliff,  which  she  pointed  out,  he  would 
find  a  dead  woman ;  and  to  take  lier  up  and 
convey  her  with  all  possible  secrecy  there  to  her 
room.  The  man  obeyed ;  and  as  soon  as  Mary 
Ann  had  possession  of  the  lacerated  and  bloody 
corpse,  she  raised  her  eyes  to  heaven,  and  ap- 
plied to  the  throat,  and  the  other  affected  parts, 
some  rose  leaves ;  and  the  Indian  instantly  be- 
gan to  breathe,  and  shortly  after  got  up  perfectly 
cured,  with  no  other  mark  remaining  except  a 
very  slight  impression  of  the  halter  with  which 
she  had  been  strangled.  The  fact  was  soon 
spread  abroad :  and  the  nieces  of  the  Saint  in- 
terrogated the  Indian  to  discover  the  truth. 
But  she  was  unable  to  say  more  than  that  find- 
ing herself  in  tlie  agonies  of  death,  slie  seemed 
to  see,  as  in  a  dream,  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  mak- 
ing towards  her  and  promising  assistance  and 


succour. 


20* 


234:  MARY  ANN   OP   JESUS. 


CHAPTEfl    XV. 

THE  INVINCIBLE  PATIENCE  AND  PERFECT  RESIGNA- 
TION OF  THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN  IN  HER  LONG- 
AND  PAINFUL  INFIRMITIES.  HER  HEROIC  FORTI- 
TUDE IN  MORTIFYING  HER  THIRST  REWARDED  BY 
ALMIGHTY  GOD  WITH  MIRACLES. 

It  will  not  be  disagreeable  to  the  reader,  if 
before  I  proceed  to  give  an  account  of  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann's  precious  death,  I  should 
set  forth  in  this  chapter  and  place  before  his 
eyes  the  wonderful  examples,  which  she  has  left 
us,  of  perfect  resignation  and  heroic  patience  in 
the  course  of  her  long  and  painful  infirmities. 
She  had  to  suffer  much,  especially  during  the 
last  seven  years  of  her  life,  from  prostration  of 
strength,  fainting  fits,  swoons,  burning  fevers, 
and  in  the  end  from  dropsy  accompanied  with 
dangerous  symptoms.  The  pains  alone  of  her 
stomach,  which  not  unfrequently  assailed  her, 
were  so  acute  and  excessive  that  she  herself  did 
rot  hesitate  to  affirm  in  confidence  to  Father 
Era.  Girolama,  her  brother,  and  to  Father  Ca- 
maccio  her  confessor,  tliat  they  would  without 
doubt  have  deprived  her  of  life,  had  they  lasted 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  235 


out  for  one  full  (juaiter  of  an  hour.  Notwith- 
standing- all  this,  whether  sick  or  well,  she  al- 
ways maintained  the  same  joyful  and  serene 
countenance,  always  the  same  sweetness  and 
afiability  of  manners.  She  continued  as  before 
to  practice  her  ordinary  penances,  and  to  follow- 
in  every  thing  the  distribution  of  time  pre- 
scribed for  her  daily  exercises.  She  could  never 
be  induced  to  take  to  her  bed  and  put  herself 
under  the  care  of  physicians,  except  Avhen  there 
was  danger  of  death,  or  when  "she  could  no 
longer  stand  upon  her  feet.  And  on  these  oc- 
casions no  one  ever  heard  a  single  word  of  com- 
plaint, or  a  sigh  indicative  of  the  great  sufler- 
ings  which  she  cndured^nay,  the  more  her 
pains  increased,  the  greater  was  her  joy  and 
exultation.  She  said  that  these  were  all  so 
many  caresses  and  delights  sent  her  by  her  hea- 
venly Spouse,  and  consequently  that  she  was 
really  blessed,  because  without  any  merit  of  her 
own  she  was  made  Avorthy  of  the  divine  compla- 
cency. 

As  sufferings  and  infirmities  were  esteemed 
by  her  as  extraordinary  graces  and  favours,  we 
Bced  not  wonder  if  she  changed  them  into  and 
made  them  sources  of  enjoyment,  in  so  much  as 
to  desire  always  to  suffer  more  and  more  for  the 


236  MARY  ANN  OF  JfESUS. 


love  of  lier  God.  Being  one  day  very  mucli 
tormented  with  her  pains,  she  threw  herself  into 
the  arms  of  Maria  Arias,  her  particular  friend, 
and  as  if  seeking  for  some  relief,  begged  her  to 
strike  her  with  her  hand  between  the  shoulders, 
pretending  that  she  felt  some  numbness  there. 
The  otlicr  obliged,  firmly  believing  that  she  was 
alleviating  her  pains  by  so  doing ;  but  the  truth 
was  that  she  increased  them  beyond  measure,  as 
the  servant  of  God  had  desired ;  for  precisely  in 
that  part  she  had  a  frightful  iron  chain,  the 
points  of  which  were  so  embeded  by  the  blows 
in  her  flesh  that  the  physicians  afterwards  could 
with  difficulty  draw  them  out  without  tearing 
the  flesh. 

But  where  her  heroic  patience  and  mortifica- 
tion shine  most  conspicuous  was  in  lier  last  sick- 
ness, which  was  dropsy,  and  which  afflicted  her 
for  many  years.  One  of  the  ordinary  effects  of 
this  disease  is  wont  to  be,  as  every  body  knows, 
an  excessive  and  morbid  thirst,  whicli  can  never 
be  allayed.  Now  Mary  Ann,  who  never  in  the 
whole  course  of  her  life  used  any  other  beverage 
except  pure  water,  and  that  also  sparingly,  when 
she  was  attacked  by  this  new  disease,  and  there- 
fore stood  in  greater  need  than  ever  of  quench- 
ing her  thirst  oftener,  abstained  on  the  contrary 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  237 


more  than  ever  from  drink,  in  order  to  mortify 
the  burning-  thirst  with  which  she  was  consumed. 
It  wouhl  seem  perfectly  incredible,  but  it  is  a 
fact  which  rests  on  the  testimony  of  many  wit- 
nesses, that  she  passed  entire  weeks,  and  once 
went  as  far  as  three  months  without  tasting  a 
drop  of  water.  And  if  she  did  not  die,  as  was 
but  natural,  of  pure  thirst,  it  was  the  grace  and 
power  of  God  which  supported  her  life. 

Great,  therefore,  was  the  torment  Avhich  she 
endured ;  but  the  more  acute  and  distressing  it 
was,  the  dearer  it  was  always  to  her.  The  very 
sight  of  water  excited  in  her  parched  and  burn- 
ing body  the  most  violent  contortions,  caused 
by  the  great  desire  which  afflicted  humanity  felt 
to  seek  some  refreshment.  Notwithstanding  all 
this,  Mary  Ann  not  only  with  heroic  fortitude 
repressed  every  propensity  and  craving  of  na- 
ture, but  to  render  her  martyrdom  more  excru- 
ciating and  her  mortification  more  excessive,  she 
would  go  to  the  bucket  of  water  which  she 
always  kept  in  her  rooms  for  this  purpose,  and 
filling  a  small  vase  she  held  it  up  before  her 
eyes,  and  then  slowly  and  little  by  little  poured 
it  back  into  the  bucket.  She  was  observed  to 
do  the  same  thing  at  a  fountain,  taking  up  the 
limped  water,  and  then  turn  round  and  throw 


238  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


it  back  into  the  basin.  At  the  noise  which  the 
rain  made  in  falling,  the  parched  child  would 
extend  her  body  out  of  the  window,  and  with 
her  eyes  and  face  turned  towards  heaven  would 
give  a  thousand  praises  and  thanks  to  God,  for 
giving  her  that  fine  opportunity  of  mortifying 
her  thirst.  At  other  times  making  a  cup  of  the 
hollow  of  her  hands,  she  collected  the  rain 
which  fell  from  the  eaves  of  the  roof;  after  that, 
opening  them  on  a  sudden,  she  let  the  water  fall 
to  the  ground,  as  if  offering  it  in  sacrifice  to 
God,  in  imitation  of  the  holy  prophet  David. 
She  was  once  surprised  in  tliis  act  by  a  lady 
who  lived  opposite  to  her  dwelling,  and  who 
could  not  refrain  from  asking  her  for  what  pur- 
pose she  stood  admiring  and  collecting  the 
water,  if  afterwards  she  made  no  use  of  it  to 
quench  her  thirst?  And  the  servant  of  God, 
blushing  for  shame,  quietly  replied  that  she  did 
so  to  mortify  herself  a  little,  and  then  suddenly 
withdrew  to  her  room.  Another  time  being 
parched  with  thirst,  and  hearing  the  gurgling 
sound  of  a  freshet,  which  ran  in  torrents  through 
the  streets  from  the  late  rains,  with  a  sudden 
motion  she  exclaimed  with  a  sigh — "Oh,  that 
one  could  plunge  herself  into  that  water  to  allay 
a  little  her  ]}urning  thirst!"     A  lady  hearing 


MARY    A\X    OF   JESCS.  239 


this  who  was  present  ofiorcd  her  immediately  a 
glass  of  fresh  water;  but  Mary  Ann  liumldy 
thanking  her  for  her  charity  refused  the  oUer- 
ing,  and  added :  "  because  that  exclamation  es- 
caj)ed  me,  you  must  iiot  imagine,  madam,  that  I 
would  drink  this  water.  Think  rather  that  I 
feel  a  real  ])leasure  in  associating  in  his  last 
moments  with  my  languishing  Spouse,  who,  tor- 
mented also  with  thirst,  died  for  me  npon  the 
cross."  And  if  she  was  sometimes  compelled 
by  obedience  or  by  extreme  necessity  to  take 
a  few  sips  of  water,  or  to  keep  it  a  little  while 
in  her  mouth  to  moisten  her  throat,  she  mixed 
so  much  gall  and  bitter  substances  with  it  that 
she  rendered  the  taste  of  it  intolerable.  During 
the  last  day  of  her  life,  when  she  was  very  ill, 
she  manifested  her  desire  for  a  few  fresh  grapes. 
After  much  search  a  small  bunch  was  found  and 
brought  to  her ;  but  she  to  irritate  rather  than 
for  the  sake  of  quenching  her  thirst,  took  but 
three  single  grapes,  and  then  absolutely  refused 
the  remainder. 

It  happened  sometimes  that  her  dry  and 
parched  throat  would  become  contracted  and 
tijrhtlv  closed  for  the  want  of  necessary  moisture: 
and  then  the  only  remedy  she  adopted,  was  to 
put  little  pieces  of  apple  iu  hor  mouth  and  ex- 


240  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


tract  the  juice.  She  did  not  very  often  use  this 
mode  of  relief,  on  the  contrary  she  very  often 
refused  it,  or  turned  it  to  her  greater  mortifica- 
tion. She  would  take  in  her  hand  the  finest 
looking  and  the  best  flavoured  of  the  apples 
which  were  given  her,  look  at  them  wistfully, 
and  then  hand  them  to  her  nieces,  praying  them 
to  eat  them  in  her  presence,  and  thus  cruelly  tor- 
ment her  burning  thirst  with  the  siglit  of  them 
eating.  So  great  virtue  merited  to  be  rewarded 
by  Almighty  God  with  stupendous  prodigies,  one 
of  which  only  I  will  here  relate,  as  I  find  it  de- 
posed in  the  process.  One  day  her  confessor 
ordered  Mary  Ann  that  she  should  not  taste  a 
sip  of  drink  of  any  kind  for  fifteen  consecutive 
days.  His  intention  was  to  see  what  impression 
a  conmiand  so  strange  and  contrary  to  all  rules 
of  prudence  would  make  upon  her,  and  what 
emotions  and  thouglits  it  would  excite  in  her 
mind  and  heart ;  and  tlien  an  hour  after,  when 
she  would  return  to  make  her  confession,  he  in- 
timated to  revoke  the  order,  nay,  to  oblige  her 
to  take  more  frequent  nourishment.  But  God, 
who  wished  to  give  us  another  example  of  her 
heroic  obedience  and  perfect  resignation,  ar- 
ranged it  so  that  he  forgot  every  thing  about  it. 
The  obedient  Mary  Ann,  without  stopping  to 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  241 


reflect  on  the  command  slie  received,  joyfully 
prepared  liersclf  to  execute  it  to  tlie  very  letter; 
and  as  for  some  days  previous  she  had  taken  no 
refreshment,  ,she  began  soon  to  feel  all  the 
dreadful  effects  and  torments  of  a  burning  thirst- 
She  could  have  easily  rid  herself  of  this  suflering 
by  merely  stating  her  case  to  her  confessor;  but 
fearing  to  lose  by  so  doing  tlie  merit  of  obedi- 
ence, she  was  silent,  and  although  every  morn- 
ing and  frequently  during  the  day  she  returned 
to  see  him,  she  never  said  a  word  to  him  about 
it.  And  she  Avas  on  the  very  point  of  failing 
and  of  being  reduced  to  the  last  extremity,  when 
God,  satisfied  with  the  display  of  so  much  vir- 
tue, miraculously  comforted  and  sustained  her. 
A  very  heavy  rain  was  falling;  and  Mary  Ann, 
who  felt  an  interiour  anguish,  went  to  the  win- 
dow and  held  out  both  hands  joined  together  to 
catch  the  rain  which  fell,  and  afterwards  to 
make  of  it,  as  was  her  custom,  a  pleasing  holo- 
caust, by  throwing  it  on  the  ground  without 
tasting  a  drop  of  it.  No  sooner  however  were 
the  palms  of  both  hands  filled,  than  as  if  they 
had  been  a  sponge,  they  miraculously  imbibed 
and  absorbed  all  the  water  she  had  collected. 
This  happened  to  her  great  surprise,  not  once, 
but  as  long  as  she  kept  her  hands  extended,  and 

21 


242  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


slie  felt   her  "vvliole  interiour  cooled  and  her 
bui'iiing  cease. 


CHAPTER     XVI. 

THE  GREAT  DESIRE  WHICH  THE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN 
HAD  OF  DEATH.  SHE  OFFERS  HERSELF  TO  GOD 
AS  A  VICTIM  FOR  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  HER 
FELLOW-CITIZENS  AND  FALLS  GRIEVOUSLY  SICK. 
RECEIVES  WITH  THE  MOST  TENDER  AFPECTlON 
THE  LAST  SACRAMENTS,  AND  EXPIRES  IN  THE 
ARMS  OF  JESUS  AND  MARY,  AVHO  DESCENDED 
FROM  HEAVEN  TO  RECEIVE  HER  SOUL,  WHOSE 
GLORY  IS  REVEALED  TO  BROTHER  FERDINANDQ 
BELLA   CROCE.  ' 

A  SOUL  SO  disengaged  from  the  things  here 
below  could  not  but  pant  with  an  ardent  desire 
of  flying  quickly  to  the  bosom  of  its  God.  Every 
time  the  conversation  turned  on  death,  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann  was  observed  to  manifest 
the  greatest  joy,  and  her  whole  countenance  to 
brighten  with  extraordinary  consolation.  The 
very  sickness,  Iflie  pains  and  the  spasms  of  her 
body  were  also  on  this  account  unspeakably  dear 
to  her :  for  slie  hoped  that  at  last  they  would  so 
diminish  her  strength  as  to  render  her  recovery 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  243 


hopeless.  Ilcncc  the  many  sighs  and  tears  she 
shed,  as  if  she  had  no  greater  pain  than  that  of 
living,  nor  expected  a  greater  grace  than  tliat 
of  dying. 

Thus  she  went  on  animating  her  hopes  till 
the  beginning  of  the  year  1645,  when  it  seemed 
she  had  by  a  supernatural  light  some  certainty 
of  her  approaching  dissolution.  She  began  from 
that  time  to  speak  of  it,  at  first  obscurely,  and 
afterwards  in  terms  suUicicntly  clear  to  several 
of  her  more  confidential  friends.  Moreover,  the 
wonderful  deatii  which  we  have  related  in  an- 
otlier  place  of  D.  Sebastiana  her  niece,  Avhich 
happened  about  this  time,  revived  the  desire  of 
following  her,  and  of  speedily  uniting  herself  to 
her  in  heaven.  Likewise  not  a  few,  on  the  tes- 
timony of  her  confessors,  deposed  in  the  juridi- 
cal process  that  in  that  secret  colloquy  which 
she  had  with  her  dving  niece,  she  not  onlv  re- 
vealed  to  her  the  glory  prepared  for  her  in  hea- 
ven, but  added,  that  she  should  prepare  the 
place  for  her,  as  she  would  follow  her  in  a  short 
time.  The  truth  is,  that  but  a  few  months  in- 
tervened between  the  death  of  Sebastiana  and 
that  of  Mary  Ann.  As  therefore  the  twenty-six 
years,  which  Maiy  Ann  spent  upon  this  earth, 
were  but  a  life  of  a  continued  sacrifice,  so  tho 


244  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


Lord  was  pleased  that  the  last  act  of  it  should 
be  ill  reality  a  holocaust,  in  virtue  of  which  she 
offered  herself  up  as  a  victim  of  charity  for  the 
relief  and  preservation  of  her  fellow-citizens. 
The  thing  happened  in  this  manner: — 

In  tlie  year  1645  America  was  visited  by  a 
contagious  disease,  which  laid  waste  many  of 
the  southern  provinces.  It  made  its  appearance 
also  in  the  city  of  Quito,  and  in  a  short  time  it 
spread  itself,  committing  the  most  terrible 
havoc  among  every  class  of  citizens,  who  daily 
fell  victims  to  its  fury.  The  churches  and  ceme- 
teries were  insufficient  to  contain  the  great  num- 
ber of  the  dead,  and  heaps  of  abandoned  and 
unburied  corpses  were  seen  in  the  streets  and  in 
the  environs  of  the  city.  To  increase  the  uni- 
versal dread  frequent  eai'tliquakes  were  felt, 
which  shook  and  overturned  many  villages  and 
populous  cities.  Every  body  was  in  tears,  in 
mourning  and  in  confusion.  It  happened  that 
on  the  25  til  of  March  Father  Alfonso  Roxas, 
Mary  Ann's  confessor,  was  explaining  the  sacred 
scripture  in  the  church  of  the  Society,  and  at 
the  end  of  his  discourse,  after  describing,  with 
much  eloquence,  the  ruins  of  the  city  of  Rio- 
bamba,  that  had  just  been  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake   he  exhorted  the  people  in  strong 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  245 


language  to  implore  mercy  and  pardon  of  Al- 
mighty God,  and  to  do  penance,  in  order  to 
avert  those  tremendous  chastisements  of  the 
divine  justice:  after  this,  inflamed  with  an  ar- 
dent charity,  he  made  a  public  and  solemn  offer- 
ing of  his  life  to  the  Lord,  beseeching  him  to 
accept  it  in  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  the  peo- 
ple. Mary  Ann,  who  was  present,  was  very 
much  moved  and  affected  at  the  Father's  words, 
and  being  also  carried  away  by  an  unusual  fer- 
vour rose  to  her  feet,  and  in  the  midst  of  the 
multitude,  with  few  but  animated  words,  offered 
her  life  to  God,  supplicating  him  to  accept  it  as 
a  holocaust  for  the  common  safety  of  her  fellow- 
citizens.  The  Lord  was  pleased  with  the  offer- 
ing, and  was  appeased  by  the  prayer  of  his  be- 
loved servant.  The  earthquake?  itnmediately 
ceased,  and  the  contagion  decreased  in  propor- 
tion as  Mary  Ann's  sickness  increased,  and  at 
her  death  entirely  disappeared. 

As  soon  as  she  returned  home  she  was  assailed 
with  a  violent  fever,  and  the  dropsy,  from  which 
she  had  already  suffered  much,  grew  worse :  and 
these  two  diseases  accompanied  with  acute  pains 
continued  wearing  her  away  for  more  than  fifty- 
nine  days.  She  never  undressed  nor  took  to  her 
bed,  except  the  last  day  of  her  life.     It  was  a 

21* 


246  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


most  affecting;  sight  to  see  her  overwlielmed  with 
siifferinG:s,  and  nevertheless  always  with  a  serene 
countenance,  and  with  a  mind  perfectly  tranquil. 
She  would  admit  no  relief  or  comfort,  wishing 
to  die  in  the  midst  of  pains  for  the  love  of  her 
heavenly  Spouse.  That  spirit  of  austere  mortifi- 
cation and  rigid  penance,  which  were  born,  it 
may  be  said,  with  her,  accompanied  her  to  the 
last  moment  of  her  life.  She  never  eat  meat, 
nor  took  any  food  that  was  eitlier  delicate  or 
even  substantial.  And  although  she  was  parch- 
ed with  an  intolerable  thirst,  during  all  these 
fifty-nine  days  she  never  swallowed  a  drop  of 
water.  Once  she  yielded  to  the  urgent  entrea- 
ties of  her  sister  and  those  present  who  assisted 
her,  and  took  a  mouthful  of  water,  but  after 
keeping  it  a  little  wliile  in  her  mouth  she  spat 
it  out  without  swallowing  a  drop  of  it.  She 
was  completely  prostrate  from  the  loss  of 
strength,  but  still  she  never  laid  down,  but  re- 
mained at  one  time  standing,  at  another  time 
propped  up  on  a  little  bed  which  D.  Girolaraa 
her  sister  had  brought  into  her  room. 

When  the  report  of  her  dangerous  illness  was 
first  circulated  over  the  city,  an  immense  number 
of  every  rank  and  condition  anxiously  hastened 
to  see  and  speak  with  her  for  the  last  time.  But 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  247 


tlie  humble  servant  of  the  Lord  urgently  be 
sought  the  domestics  to  allosv  no  one  to  enter  to 
visit  her;  desiring  to  be  alone  and  to  keep  licr 
mind  continually  fixed  on  God.  Wherefore 
they  were  obliged  to  content  themselves  with 
coming  as  far  as  the  door  and  making  inquiries 
about  her.  Permission,  however,  could  not  be 
refused  to  Monsignor  Fra.  Pictro  di  Oviedo, 
Bishop  of  Quito,  who,  declaring  it  was  his  duty 
as  pastor  to  visit  one  of  his  sick  lambs,  without 
more  passed  on  and  entered  her  room.  The 
sick  person  at  first  was  a  little  confused,  and 
with  tender  expressions  of  affection  and  hu- 
mility thanked  him  for  such  condescension.  Put 
the  good  prelate,  when  he  witnessed  the  peace 
and  tranquility  of  her  soul,  which  seemed  al- 
ready to  enjoy  the  happiness  of  heaven,  could 
not  withhold  his  tears ;  and  when  he  was  going 
to  take  his  leave  he  suddenly  stooped  and  took 
the  invalid's  hand  and  raised  it  to  his  lips  as  if 
to  kiss  it.  Put  Mary  Ann,  perceiving  his  inten- 
tion, hastily  withdrew  it,  and  could  not  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  permit  it. 

Her  malady  continuing  to  increase  more  and 
more,  it  was  judged  advisable  to  administer  to 
her  the  holy  viaticum.  It  was  necessary  to  bring 
it  from  the  cathedral,  which  was  Mary  Ann's 


248  MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS. 


parish:  but  foreseeing  that  it  would  cause  a 
great  commotion  among  the  people,  under  colour 
of  not  giving  so  much  trouble  to  the  priest,  she 
prayed  and  begged  so  hard,  that  at  last  she  suc- 
ceeded in  having  it  brought  from  the  church  of 
the  hospital  of  the  poor,  which  was  quite  near 
her  I'csidence.  When  the  priest  entered  the 
room  with  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  his  hand, 
although  her  strength  was  entirely  gone,  she 
knelt  down  on  the  floor,  and  melting  into  a  flood 
of  tender  tears,  received  with  great  fervour  her 
Lord  in  the  sacrament  for  the  last  time. 

Three  days  previous  to  her  death  she  lost  the 
entire  use  of  her  tongue,  as  she  had  desired  and 
asked  of  Almighty  God.  And  she  herself  fore- 
told this  to  Petronilla  of  St.  Bruno,  her  good 
friend,  before  she  took  sick,  who,  expressing  her 
surprise  at  it.  asked  her  in  confidence  the  occa- 
sion of  it;  and  Mary  Ann  with  much  simplicity 
replied  to  her  in  the  following  terms : — "  My 
sister,  that  is  not  the  time  of  discoursing  about, 
but  of  being  united  with  God ;  for  there  is  then 
much  to  treat  about  with  him,  and  it  is  better 
to  speak  with  God  than  to  speak  about  God." 
For  the  rest  she  was  always  self-possessed,  and 
retained  the  free  and  perfect  use  of  her  other 
senses.     Hence  it  was  that  to  ask  the  aid  and 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  249 


advice  of  l^rothcr  Ferdinando  della  Croce,  her 
director,  who  never  abandoned  her  in  her  last 
moments,  she  wrote  on  scraps  of  paper  what  slie 
wished,  and  commnnicated  by  means  of  them  all 
that  passed  in  tlie  interiour  of  her  soul.  On  one 
of  these  papers  she  spoke  thus : — "  Mother  St. 
Catharine  of  Sienna  came  to  pay  me  a  visit,  and 
has  shown  me  a  most  beautiful  garland,  with 
which  I  will  be  crowned  at  the  hour  of  my  death: 
and  she  told  me  that  on  Friday,  between  nine 
and  ten  o'clock  at  night,  my  Spouse  and  his 
Motlicr,  my  Mistress,  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  are 
to  descend  to  take  me."  This  same  vision  was 
revealed,  at  precisely  the  same  moment,  to  the 
venerable  mother  Anna  di  S.  Paolo,  a  religious 
of  the  monastry  of  St.  Catharine,  who,  in  a 
trance,  exclaimed  aloud :  "  Oh,  this  time  indeed, 
my  sisters,  our  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  is  dying !" 
Two  religious  were  present  at  the  time,  who 
took  the  liberty  to  ask  her  how  she  could  know 
it  with  such  certainty?  And  she  said,  "  1  know 
it  because  our  Uoly  Mother  St.  Catharine  has 
come  from  heaven  to  visit  Mary  Ann,  for  the 
purpose  of  conducting  her  to  glory,  with  a  most 
resplendent  crown  destined  for  her  triumph. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  the  day  on  which  the 
church  celebrated  the  solemnity  of  the  glorious 


250  JIARY    AXN    OB^   JESUS. 


Ascension  of  Jesus  Christ  into  heaven,  she  gave 
them  to  understand  by  her  gestures,  that  slie 
wished  to  be  carried  to  that  window  of  her 
apartment  which  overlooked  the  chapel  erected 
in  the  public  street  to  our  Lady  of  the  Angels. 
Here,  on  her  knees,  although  on  account  of  her 
extreme  weakness  she  could  scarcely  support 
herself,  she  heard  live  successive  masses.  After 
that,  being  carried  back  into  her  room,  she  ask- 
ed to  write,  and  exposed  briefly  in  few  words 
her  three  desires.  The  first  was  that  she  should 
be  transferred  into  the  room  of  D.  Giovanna 
her  niece.  It  seemed  that  she  would  thus  pre- 
pare to  die  dispossessed  of  every  thing,  removed 
from  her  own  apartment,  and  upon  a  bed  the 
property  of  another:  and  the  more  that  her 
many  instruments  of  penance  might  not  be  seen 
by  the  people  who  would  come  to  see  her.  She 
begged  in  the  second  place,  that  after  her  death 
an  old  and  worn  out  dress  might  be  given  her 
as  an  alms  to  serve  as  her  shroud ;  and  that  her 
body  should  be  buried  in  the  church  of  the  So- 
ciety of  Jesus,  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  of  our 
Lady  of  Loretto,  a  favour  she  liad  already  so- 
licited and  obtained  of  the  Superiours  of  the 
same  Society,  of  whicli  she  professed  herself,  al- 
though unworthy,  an  humble  daughter.    Finally, 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  251 


she  entreated  her  sister  and  niece  that  they 
would  observe  the  greatest  decency  in  dressing 
her  body,  and  as  soon  as  she  was  dead  to  turn 
her  with  her  face  towards  the  ground,  because 
from  her  mouth  a  quantity  of  blood  would  flow, 
as  in  fact  it  haj)pened:  and  she  concluded  by 
returning  her  most  humble  thanks  to  the  house- 
hold, and  especially  to  her  brother-in-law,  D. 
Cosimo,  for  the  good  education  he  had  given 
her  and  his  kind  attention  to  her  up  to  that  hour. 
The  next  day  she  showed  a  desire  of  return- 
ing again  to  the  window  to  hear  the  holy  mass: 
and  although  the  family,  perhaps  fearing  that 
she  would  faint  on  account  of  the  great  prostra- 
tion of  her  strength,  hesitated  for  some  con- 
siderable time,  nevertheless,  moved  to  pity  by 
her  urgent  entreaties  to  be  allowed  her  request, 
they  were  at  last  induced  to  grant  it.  She  as- 
sisted, therefore,  with  much  fervour  at  one  mass, 
after  which,  not  being  any  longer  able  to  stand 
upon  her  feet,  or  to  sit,  she  was  carried  back  in 
the  arms  of  her  attendants  and  placed  for  the 
first  time  on  the  bed  of  her  niece.  From  this 
they  judged  that  her  course  was  nearly  run,  and 
that  her  happy  passage  was  near  at  hand.  And 
she  herself  confirmed  it,  for  hearing  the  by- 
standers  speak  of  her  death,   she  raised   one 


252  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


finger  of  her  hand,  indicating  in  this  manner, 
that  that  was  to  be  the  last  day  of  her  life. 
Some  one  present  reminded  her,  that  it  would 
not  look  well  for  her  to  die  before  D.  Cosimo, 
who  had  always  been  to  her  in  place  of  father, 
and  who  had  been  summoned  in  haste  from  the 
villa,  whither  he  had  gone  a  few  days  before, 
could  return  home  and  see  her  alive  for  the  last 
time.     To  this  she  made  a  sign  of  assent  with 
her  head;  and  turning  her  eyes  from  time  to 
time  around,  she  seemed  anxiously  to  inquire  if 
her  brother-in-law  had  yet  come.    He  arrived  at 
last  towards  night,  and  being  very  much  grieved 
to  find  Mary  Ann  reduced  to  the  last  extremity, 
burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.     But  the  servant  of 
God  raised  her  eyes  and  hand  towards  heaven, 
signifying  to  him  the  consolation  which  she  felt 
in  the  thought  of  being  speedily  united  to  her 
God :  after  this,  in  the  best  way  she  could  by 
the  help  of  gestures,  she  gave  him  to  understand 
that  she   wished   to  receive  his   blessing.     D. 
Cosimo  at  first  hesitated,  but  afterwards,  seeing 
the  invalid  persist  in  her  entreaty,  he  blessed 
her  more  with  tears  than  with  words. 

Then  Mary  Ann,  as  if  nothing  now  remained 
for  her  to  accomplish  upon  earth,  re-composed 
herself  and  began  her  agony,  accompanying  with 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  253 


the  most  lively  sentiments  of  aflfection  the  ex- 
treme Unction,  whicli  in  the  mean  time  was  ad- 
ministered to  lier.  FF.  Luigi  Yasquex,  Gio- 
vanni Pietro  Scverino,  and  Alfonso  Roxas,  her 
confessors  at  different  times,  and  her  spiritual 
director  brother  Ferdinando  della  Croce,  stood 
round  her  bed  :  and  in  turn  suggested  to  her  in- 
flamed acts  of  divine  love,  which  she  repeated 
by  slowly  moving  her  lips.  She  always  kept 
the  crucifix  firmly  claspsd  in  her  hand  and  from 
it  slie  never  raised  her  eyes,  except  occasionally 
looking  towards  heaven  with  great  tenderness. 
Whilst  thus  engaged,  she  was  observed  suddenly 
to  assume  a  most  joyful  countenance,  and  to  keep 
her  face  motionless  and  fixed,  and  her  eyes 
rivetted  on  high,  as  if  she  beheld  some  dear  ob- 
ject before  her:  after  this,  with  the  little 
strength  that  was  still  left  her,  she  seemed  to 
invite  those  around  her  to  unite  with  her  to  do 
honour  and  pay  their  respects  to  the  personages 
there  present.  No  one,  except  Br.  Ferdinando 
della  Croce,  could  penetrate  the  mystery.  He, 
with  the  paper  in  his  hand  which  he  had  received 
three  days  before,  knew  immediately  that  her 
death  was  near  at  hand,  and  that  Jesus  and 
Mary  were  already  come  from  heaven  to  conduct 
her  innocent  soul  to  glory.    Being  made  aware 


22 


254  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


of  the  fact,  they  all  knelt  clown  around  her  bed, 
and  one  of  the  Fathers  read  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  departing  soul,  according  to  the 
ritual  of  the  church.  When  this  .was  finished, 
Father  Alfonso  Roxas  suggested  to  the  dying 
person  acts  of  faith,  hope,  and  charity;  aftei 
them,  taking  the  crucifix  in  his  hand,  he  gave 
her  the  five  wounds  to  kiss,  one  after  the  other. 
She  showed  plainly,  by  signs,  that  she  was  per- 
fectly conscious,  and  accompanied  every  thing 
with  the  most  tender  interiour  affections,  and 
as  each  of  the  wounds  was  presented  to  her,  she 
impressed  a  sw^eet  kiss  with  the  little  strength 
which  still  remained.  When  she  came  to  that 
of  the  side  she  continued  longer,  shedding  a 
flood  of  sweet  tears :  then,  as  if  impelled  by  a 
transport  of  love,  she  placed  her  lips  upon  the 
crown  of  thorns,  and  bending  down  her  head, 
calmly  yielded  up  her  pure  spirit  into  the  hands 
of  her  Creator.  Her  precious  death  happened 
on  the  26th  of  May  1645,  being  then  26  years, 
6  months,  and  26  days  old,  on  Friday,  between 
the  hours  of  nine  and  ten  at  night,  as  she  had 
foretold.  With  respect  to  her  features  and  the 
appearance  of  her  person,  she  was  of  an  ordinary 
stature,  of  a  delicate  constitution,  and  fair  com- 
plexion.   She  had  a  large  and  black  eye,  black 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  255 


eye-brows,  a  broad  and  open  foroliead,  her 
cheeks  were  full  and  coh)ured,  lier  nose  small, 
as  well  as  her  mouth,  ilcr  countenance,  whilst 
it  was  handsome  and  ag-rceable,  so  also  was  it 
modest  and  amiable;  and  she  seemed  to  breathe 
an  odour  of  purity  and  innocence.  It  was  suf- 
ficient to  look  at  her  to  feel  sentiments  and  affec- 
tions of  devotion  excited  in  the  mind. 

As  soon  as  Mary  Ann  was  dead  Ferdinando 
della  Croce  placed  himself  on  his  knees  before 
a  little  altar  which  had  been  erected  in  the  same 
room,  and  wishing*  to  offer  up  a  short  prayer  for 
the  repose  of  the  soul  departed,  was  immediately 
bereft  of  his  senses,  and  like  one  in  an  ecstacy 
he  continued  for  a  /ull  hour  with  his  mind  and 
heart  so  absorbed  in  God  that  it  was  useless  for 
the  others  to  call  or  even  shake  him  to  make 
him  come  to  himself.  At  last  i-eturnins;  to  him- 
self,  he  rose  to  his  feet,  and  with  his  coiinte 
nance  full  of  joy  and  serenity  exclaimed — "  Weep 
not  for  the  death  of  this  happy  virgin,  for  she 
has  gone  straight  to  heaven  without  passing 
through  purgatory,  and  accompanied  with  so 
many  merits  that  she  possesses  many  over  and 
above  what  she  needs,  and  in  which  we  also  who 
arc  destitute  may  participate  here  on  earth." 
After  saying  this  he  kissed  the  hands  and  feet 


256  MARY  ANN   OP   JESUS. 


of  the  deceased  with  great  reverence ;  and  turn- 
ing to  the  relatives  he  warmly  recommended  to 
them  two  things:  The  first,  that  they  should 
faithfully  execute  her  wish  of  being  buried  in 
the  church  of  the  Jesuits :  the  second,  that  they 
should  use  no  sign  of  mourning,  as  her  soul  was 
already  glorious  in  heaven.  But  there  was  no 
need  of  this  recommendation ;  for  no  one  of  the 
family,  not  even  her  sister  D.  Girolama,  al- 
though she  wished,  could  shed  a  single  tear  for 
the  death  of  Mary  Ann.  On  the  contrary,  on 
the  countenances  of  all  was  a  visible  air  of  tran- 
quillity indicative  of  consolation  and  joy,  as  if 
the  most  fortunate  accident  in  the  world  had  just 
befallen  them.  ^ 

On  the  same  night  on  which  she  died  her  sister 
with  her  niece,  according  to  the  direction  which 
they  had  received  from  Mary  Ann  whilst  alive, 
clothed  her  virginal  remains  in  that  same  habit 
of  St.  Francis,  which  was  on  the  skeleton,  which 
was  kept  in  the  centre  of  the  room :  and  they 
were"  induced  to  do  this,  in  order  to  follow  the 
custom,  which  was  then  verv  common  throuijh- 
out  all  the  Spanish  dominions,  of  dressing  the 
corpse  of  the  dead  in  this  manner,  as  also  be- 
cause Mary  Ann,  to  enjoy  the  indulgences  an- 
nexed to  it,  had  several  years  before,  by  the 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  257 


advice  of  her  confessor,  worn  the  scapular  of  St. 
Francis  of  Assisium.  Besides  this  she  had 
asked  before  her  death,  that  her  corpse  might 
be  dressed  in  an  old  worn  out  garment  tliat 
would  be  given  her  by  way  of  alms,  they  judged 
that  they  could  not  better  comply  with  her  wish 
than  by  taking  the  above  dress  which  was  old 
and  worn  out,  and  therefore  well  suited  to  show 
her  extreme  poverty.  Five  chains  armed  with 
sharp  points  were  taken  from  her  body,  and  the 
sixth  was  left,  because  it  was  so  embeded  in  her 
sides  that  it  could  not  be  removed  without  tear- 
ing the  flesh.  The  body  remained  flexible,  the 
countenance  florid,  and  emitted  a  most  odorifer- 
ous odour  which  soon  filled  the  Avhole  house.  It 
was  placed  upon  a  noble  and  rich  bier,  adorned 
with  curtains  of  silk,  trimmed  with  folds  and 
fringe  and  list  of  gold,  holding  in  her  hand  a 
palm,  on  her  head  a  crown,  and  around  her  was 
scattered  flowers  of  every  kind,  and  a  great 
abundance  of  lights  and  torches.  The  hall  be- 
sides exhibited  nothing  of  grief,  but  was  grace- 
fully adorned  with  hangings  aud  cloths  of  va- 
riegated silks. 

22* 


258  MAEY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE  UNIVERSAL  COMMOTION  OP  THE  CITY  AT  THE 
EEPORT  OF  MARY  ANN'S  DEATH.  A  LILY  MIRAC- 
ULOUSLY SPRINGS  PROM  HER  BLOOD,  WHENCE 
SHE  ACQUIRES  THE  TITLE  OF  LILY  OP  QUITO. 
GREAT  CROWDS  OP  PEOPLE  AT  THE  TRANSLATION 
OF  HER  BODY  AND  HER  FUNERAL  OBSEQUIES. 
PRODIGIES  WHICH  TOOK  PLACE  BEFORE  AND 
AFTER  IT. 

At  early  dawn  of  the  following  day,  the  27t]i 
of  May,  the  whole  city  was  alive  and  in  commo- 
tion on  learning  the  happy  death  of  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  of  Jesus.  The  event  spread  like 
lightning  every  where,  and  drew  not  only  from 
the  houses  of  Quito,  but  from  the  neighbouring 
villages  a  multitude  of  people,  who,  moving  in 
crowds  through  the  streets,  and  crying  out  at 
the  top  of  their  voices — the  Saint  is  dead,  the 
Saint  is  dead,  hurried  to  her  late  residence.  To 
increase  the  common  joy  and  add  to  the  univer- 
sal commotion,  one  of  the  most  charming  and 
consoling  prodigies  took  place,  by  which  Al- 
mighty God  was  pleased  that  very  morning  to 
exalt  the  merits  and  publish  the  sanctity  of  his 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  259 


servant.  She  was  accustomed  during  her  life, 
more  fur  her  love  of  suflering  than  for  any  need 
she  had,  to  have  herself  bled  at  certain  fixed 
times,  every  few  days,  and  this  blood,  as  we  said 
before,  was  collected  and  preserved  by  her  In- 
dian servant  in  a  little  hole,  which  she  had  dug 
on  purpose  for  it  in  the  garden  attached  to  the 
house.  The  same  servant  Catharine,  having  had 
some  business  or  other  which  took  her  there, 
saw  a  most  beautiful  lily  that  had  sprung  up 
from  the  hole ;  and  piled  with  wonder  slie  ran 
immediately  to  tell  the  family  of  it.  They  all 
hastened  to  the  spot  and  observed  also  with 
their  own  eyes  the  plant  whicli  had  thus  unex- 
pectedly sprung  forth  during  the  night,  and  had 
already  grown  several  palms,  and  was  divided 
into  three  branches,  at  whose  tops  three  odorif- 
erous lilies  were  in  full  bloom.  Other  persons 
being  called  to  see  the  wonder,  they  wished  to 
examine  every  thing  minutely,  and  removing 
the  stone  which  closed  the  mouth  of  the  hole, 
they  perceived  that  the  plant  sprung  from  and 
rose  out  of  the  midst  of  Mary  Ann's  blood, 
which  was  still  uncorrupt  and  odoriferous.  They 
removed  it  with  a  great  deal  of  reverence,  and 
to  their  great  surprise  that  it  had  roots  formed 
as  it  were  of  little  veins  and  delicate  fibres  of 


260  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


the  same  blood:  and  they  placed  it  in  the  hand 
of  one  of  the  little  statues  of  the  most  Blessed 
Virgin.  And  it  was  principally  from  this  pro- 
digy that  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  had  from  that 
time,  and  has  still,  the  glorious  title  and  appel- 
lation of  the  Lily  of  Quito. 

Hardly  were  the  doors  of  the  hall  thrown 
open,  where  the  corpse  of  the  Saint  lay  exposed, 
than  a  great  crowd,  which  was  already  waiting, 
made  a  rush  and  thronged  the  apartment.  All 
wished  to  see  her,  to  touch  her,  to  venerate  her 
and  to  have  something  to  keep  as  a  relic.  In  a 
moment  all  the  flowers  which  had  been  strewn 
over  the  corpse  disappeared,  and  in  a  short  time 
her  upper  garment  was  cut  into  a  thousand  little 
pieces  and  carried  away.  And  some  came  al- 
ready prepared  with  scissors  and  other  tools  to 
cut  off  not  only  her  hair,  but  a  part  also  of  her 
flesh,  when  the  relatives,  to  moderate  somewhat 
their  indiscreet  fervour,  promised  to  divide 
amongst  those  who  wished  the  chains  taken 
from  off  her  body,  which  they  had  desired  to 
preserve  exclusively  for  themselves.  But  all 
they  could  do  they  were  never  able  to  satisfy 
the  desires  of  the  petitioners — new  ones  were 
coming  in  at  every  hour.  Therefore  on  account 
of  the  throng  of  persons  which  was  still  incroasr 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  261 


ing,  and  having  strong  appreliensions  of  great 
confusion,  it  was  thought  necessary  to  surround 
the  body  of  tlic  deceased  with  armed  soldiers  to 
protect  it  against  the  excessive  and  insatiate 
rapacity  of  the  pious.  Before  this  there  were 
two  things  which  took  place,  and  which  are  not 
to  be  passed  over  in  silence.  Many  of  those  who 
came,  being  carried  away  by  the  fervour  of  their 
I  devotion,  could  not  refrain  from  touching  and 
kissing  the  angelic  face  of  the  deceased ;  and  at 
the  same  moment  that  virginal  face  was  seen  to 
show  its  disapprobation  of  such  conduct  by 
swelling  in  such  a  manner  as  to  deform  itself  in 
appearance.  The  relatives  perceived  it,  and 
quickly  suspecting  the  cause  entreated  the  crowd 
to  moderate  their  piety,  which  was  not  at  all 
pleasing  to  Mary  Ann,  whose  pure  soul  seemed 
still  to  dvccid  the  least  offence  that  might  be 
offered  to  her  spotless  body.  All  abstained  for 
the  future  from  touching  her,  and  her  face  sud- 
denly resumed  its  natural  beauty.  What  is 
more,  whilst  they  were  clothing  the  corpse  the 
second  time  in  a  new  dress,  a  profuse  sweat  was 
observed  to  flow  from  all  her  limbs,  and  which 
besides  emitted  a  sweet  frao-rauce.  It  w^as  care- 
fully  collected  in  cloths  which  they  were  after- 
wards able  to  divide  in  many  pieces,  and  thus 


262  MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS. 


satisfy  the  devotion  of  those  who  also  desired 
sometliing  belonging  to  the  servant  of  God. 

There  was  one  continued  press  of  persons 
going  and  returning  all  this  and  the  half  of  the 
following  day,  who  could  never  satisfy  them- 
selves with  gazing  over  and  over  again  upon  the 
remains  of  their  sainted  fellow-townswoman- 
Shortly  after  mid-day,  on  the  28th  of  May,  which 
fell  upon  Sunday,  notice  was  given  by  the  ring- 
ing of  all  the  bells  of  the  city,  that  the  body  was 
about  to  be  transferred  to  the  church  of  the 
Jesuits:  and  at  the  same  time  Monsignor,  the 
Bishop  of  Quito,  the  chapter  and  clergy  of  the 
cathedral,  all  the  religious  Orders,  the  judges 
of  the  Royal  Audience,  the  magistrates  of  the 
province,  the  flower  of  the  nobility,  all  splend- 
idly dressed  in  state,  and  with  lighted  torches 
in  their  hands,  spontaneously  collected  and  came 
to  do  honour  to  the  sacred  function.  The  bier 
was  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  priests  robed  in 
surplice  and  stole ;  but  at  every  little  distance 
they  gave  way  to  others  who  took  their  places. 
The  secular  nobility  and  other  more  distingushed 
persons  came  in  turn  and  placed  their  bended 
shoulders  under  the  bier,  from  the  great  desire 
they  had  of  supporting  in  some  manner  that 
sacred  deposit.     The  Religious  of  the  Society 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  263 


of  Jesus,  the  relatives  of  the  deceased,  the  gov- 
ernor and  a  few  more  personages  of  distinction, 
together  Avith  a  company  of  soldiers,  under  arms, 
surrounded  the  corpse.  There  was  an  immense 
crowd  in  tlie  streets ;  and  not  only  were  the 
doors  of  tlie  houses  and  shops  filled  with  people, 
but  the  balconies,  the  windows  and  the  very 
roofs  were  alive.  All  were  eager  to  behold  that 
angelic  face,  and  to  scatter  clouds  of  flowers 
over  her  sacred  corpse,  and  hence  at  first  there 
was  a  murmur  on  all  sides,  then  a  commotion, 
and  lastly  a  loud  cry  of  exultation  and  joy  burst 
fortli  as  soon  as  the  sacred  remains  were  seen  in 
the  distance.  To  satisfy  the  wishes  of  the  mul- 
titude, although  the  church  of  the  Jesuits  was 
quite  near  the  residence  of  Mary  Ann,  it  was 
necessary  to  make  a  long  circuit  and  proceed 
vslowly  through  the  principal  streets  of  the  city, 
all  lined  with  people  who  were  unable  to  remain 
stationary,  on  account  of  the  unusual  prodigy 
which  they  had  continually  before  them;  for 
wherever  the  procession  approached  the  air  was 
sensibly  filled  with  a  delicious  fragrance  which 
issued  from  the  corpse  of  tlie  Saint,  wliich,  after 
more  than  thirty  hours,  continued  not  only  as 
fresh  and  blooming  as  when  alive,  but  difiused 


264  MAKY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


an  agreeable  odour  which  inundated  the  soul 
■with  spiritual  consolation. 

The  festival  of  our  Lady  of  Loretto  had  been 
celebrated  that  day  in  tlie  church  of  the  Jesuits, 
and  her  statue  was  conspicuously  exposed  above 
the  main  altar.  The  vast  temple  was  adorned 
all  over  with  tapestry ;  the  Avails  were  covered 
with  festoons,  garlands,  and  rich  silks,  so  that 
it  seemed  more  like  a  triumphal  procession  than 
a  funeral,  to  judge  from  the  magnificence  of  the 
preparation  and  the  confused  murmur  of  the 
dense  mass.  What  served  to  increase  the  tumult 
was,  that  the  bier  was  hardly  within  the  portals 
of  the  church,  before  the  corpse  of  the  deceased 
was  distinctly  observed  to  open  one  of  its  eyes, 
and  a  few  minutes  later,  when  it  reached  the 
centre  and  was  deposited  opposite  the  high  altar, 
it  was  again  observed  clearly  and  distinctly  to 
open  the  other  also,  and  to  fix  its  sight  upon  the 
statue  of  the  most  Blessed  Virgin.  There  was 
then  a  great  commotion  amongst  the  people,  and 
a  general  rush  was  made  towards  the  bier,  every 
one  being  eager  to  behold  the  prodigy  with  his 
own  eyes.  And  great  confusion  would  most 
certainly  have  ensued,  had  not  Father  Alfonso 
Roxas,  in  order  to  calm  the  noise  and  soothe  the 
general  commotion,  mounted  a  bench,  and  raising 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  2G5 


up  the  liead  of  Mary  Ann,  showed  to  the  multi- 
tude the  eyes  wide  oi)cn  and  full  of  life,  and 
then  closed  them  again  with  his  own'  hands. 

After  the  agitation  liad  somcwliat  subsided, 
they  began  to  sing  the  solemn  office  of  rc(iuiemj 
but  it  was  found  impossible  to  proceed  with  it, 
on  account  of  the  continued  acclamations  of  the 
people  and  the  great  press  of  the  multitude, 
who,  after  forcing  every  barrier,  and  cutting  in 
pieces  the  third  dress  with  Avhich  the  sacred 
remains  had  been  covered,  were  prepared  with 
instruments  to  cut  off  the  fingers  of  the  hands. 
The  singing,  therefore,  having  been  interrupted, 
and  prayers  and  threats  being  insufficient  to  re- 
strain the  devotion  of  the  populace  within 
proper  bounds,  by  order  of  Monsignor  the 
Bishop  and  the  dignitaries  of  the  city,  the  corpse 
was  placed  in  a  wooden  coffin  and  consigned  to 
the  care  of  the  Jesuits,  who  buried  it  immedi- 
ately under  ground  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Joseph, 
the  other  grave  not  being  yet  ready,  which  was 
being  prepared  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  of  the 
most  Blessed  Virgin  of  Lorctto,  as  Mary  Ann 
had  arranged  before  her  death.  A  montli  later 
the  solemn  obsequies  were  again  renewed  in  the 
same  church  at  the  city's  expense,  at  which  a 
uoisy  concourse  of  persons  assisted;  and  Father 


266  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


Alfonso  Roxas  read  a  long  panegyric  in  lionour 
of  the  deceased,  which  was  afterwards  published. 
"When  the  "service  was  over  and  the  people  dis- 
persed, Monsignor  the  Bishop,  with  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Royal  Audience,  went  to  the  chapel 
of  St.  Joseph,  where  the  servant  of  God  had 
been  interred,  and,  having  opened  the  coffin, 
they  found  the  body  still  whole  and  uncorrupted. 
The  coffin  was  again  closed  and  sealed,  and 
carried  in  a  private  procession  to  the  chapel  of 
our  Blessed  Lady  of  Loretto,  and  deposited  in 
the  new  tomb.  Three  years  later  it  was  again 
opened  and  the  body  was  found  decomposed,  as 
Mary  Ann  had  desired  and  asked;  but  it  emitted 
a  delicious  odour,  which  filled  the  whole  church. 
They  collected  the  precious  bones,  and  with 
much  reverence  replaced  them  in  a  leaden  coffin 
which  bore  the  following  simple  inscription : 

HERE  LIES  THE  ANGELIC  VIRGIN 
MARY    ANN    OP    JESUS    Y    PAREDES. 

But  the  fame  of  her  wonderful  life,  and  the 
odour  of  her  heroic  virtues  were  not  buried 
with  her  body  in  the  earth,  but  remain  still 
living  in  tlie  remembrance  of  all  in  South 
America,  and  were  also  appreciated  in  other 
parts  of  the  Catholic  world,  where  many  like- 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  267 


nesses  of  the  saint  arc  to  be  found,  taken  im- 
mediately after  her  death  and  drawn  to  life. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE  ESTEEM  AND  THE  UNIVERSAL  OPINION  OP 
SANCTITY  IN  WHICH  "^HE  BLESSED  MARY  ANN 
WAS  HELD.  AUTHENTIC  TESTIMONIES  OF  HER 
CONFESSORS. 

I  could  make  a  long  enumeration  of  the  testi- 
monies of  those  who  deposed  in  the  different 
processes,  to  the  esteem  and  universal  opinion 
of  sanctity  in  which  the  Blessed  Mary  Ann  was 
held  both  before  and  after  her  death.  Although 
she  led  a  hidden  and  solitary  life,  nevertheless 
her  innocence  and  austerity  were  things  so  out 
of  the  usual  course,  that  they  could  not  be  kept 
concealed  from  the  eyes  of  the  public.  Hence 
the  name  of  saint  by  which  she  was  generally 
called ;  and  those  titles  of  angelic  virgin,  spot- 
less soul,  pure  lily,  which  were  given  her  by 
every  class  of  persons.  Not  only  in  the  city  of 
Quito,  but  also  in  the  other  provinces,  and  in 
every  part  of  South  America,  she  enjoyed  the 
reputation  and  opinion  of  superior  sanctity: 
and  I  find  that  many  personages  of  distinguished 


268  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


nobility  came  from  distant  provinces  to  Quito, 
that  they  mig-lit  have  the  consolation  of  seeing 
and  becoming  acquainted  with  her. 

But  to  prove  what  has  been  asserted,  I  think 
I  cannot  do  better  than  transcribe  here  the  at- 
testations of  her  confessors,  who  were  for  many 
years  her  spiritual  directors  and  knew  her  inti- 
mately.    Father  Luigi  Vasquez,  a  man  who  was 
naturally  extremely  cautious  in  giving  an  opi- 
nion,  made   no   difficulty  to   affirm,  "that  the 
sanctity  of  Mary  Ann  bore,  according  to  his 
judgment,  a  most  striking  resemblance  to  that 
of  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna."  Father  Gio.  Pietro 
Severino  was  of  the  same  opinion.    He  was  pro- 
fessor  of  Theology   in   the   University  of  St. 
Gregory  in  Quito,  and  on  the  27th  of  May,  hear- 
ing the  signal  given  by  the  bell  that  Mary  Ann, 
who  had  been  his  penitent,  was  dead,  he  inter- 
rupted his  lecture,  and  after  pronouncing  before 
his  scholars  the  highest  encomiums  on  the  vir- 
tues of  the  deceased,  concluded  thus  his  dis- 
course :  "  In  my  judgment  the  degree  of  sanctity 
of  our  Blessed  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus  is  not  less 
than  that  of  St.  Catharine  of  Sienna,  whom  she 
proposed  to  imitate  in  every  thing." 

Father  .John  Camaccio,  when  he  first  heard 
of  Mary  Ann's  death,  wrote  to  Captain  D.  Co- 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  269 


simo,  her  brother-in-law,  a  letter  which  was 
afterwards  cited  at  length  in  the  process,  and  is 
to  the  following  effect:  "I  know  not  whether  I 
ought  to  condole  or  rejoice  with  you  at  the  news 
which  I  have  just  received.  I  deeply  feel  that 
a  person  of  such  distinguished  sanctity  is  no 
more.  I  console  myself  by  the  certainty  which 
I  have  of  the  singular  glory  which  she  enjoys  in 
heaven,  and  in  having  been  also  the  instrument, 
although  unworthy,  which  the  Lord  made  use 
of  to  advance  her  to  that  high  degree  of  virtue, 
to  give  a  detailed  account  of  which  would  re- 
quire more  time  and  more  space  than  a  letter 
will  permit.  Passing  over,  therefore,  in  silence 
whatever  regards  the  exteriour  appearance  of 
Mary  Ann,  wliich  was  visible  to  every  one,  and 
confining  myself  to  a  brief  sketch  of  her  inte- 
riour,  which  may  serve  as  material  for  the  dis- 
course which  you  are  planning,  I  will  say,  in  the 
first  place,  that  our  Lord  raised  her  to  the  high- 
est degree  of  contemplation,  which  consists  in 
knowing  God  and  his  perfections  without  long 
discourses,  and  loving  him  without  interruption. 
Her  penances  at  the  time  when  I  directed  her 
were  certainly  extraordinary,  and  far  above 
what  such  a  frail  body  would  scorn  ca])able  of 
enduring;  and  these  I  permitted  licr  after  much 

23« 


270  MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


reflection  and  consideration,  because  I  was  con- 
Tinced  that  they  had  been  inspired  by  Almighty 
God.  She  was  in  the  habit  of  carrying  upon  her 
person,  at  the  same  time,  six  or  seven  ro":gh 
chains,  many  times  during  the  day  disciplined 
herself  to  blood,  spent  many  nights  fastened  to 
a  cross,  and  many  extended  upon  a  ladder.  Her 
fasts  were  without  doubt  extraordinary ;  for  be- 
sides those  on  bread  and  water  alone,  which  she 
frequently  practised  in  the  beginning ;  for  the 
space  of  several  years  she  never  eat  any  thing 
except  every  fifteen  days,  and  then  her  food 
consisted  of  a  thin  slice  of  bread  Avhich  she 
afterwards  soon  threw  up  again.  She  had  made 
a  vow  of  chastity  and  virginity  which  she  ob- 
served without  a  blemish,  or  the  least  thought 
that  could  tarnish  it.  She  made  also  a  vow  of 
obedience  to  her  confessor,  which  she  kept  with 
the  greatest  exactness,  and  another  of  poverty, 
by  which  she  divested  herself  of  every  thing, 
even  to  the  keys  of  her  trinkets,  neither  giving 
nor  receiving  any  thing  without  the  permission 
of  her  confessor.  She  passed  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  day  and  night  in  vocal  or  mental 
prayer,  in  examens,  spiritual  reading  and  con- 
templation, giving  scarcely  an  hour  to  sleep. 
She  had  such  a  singular  purity  of  conscience 


MARY   ANN   OF   JESUS.  271 


that  it  was  necessary  for  absolution  to  have  re- 
course to  something  of  lier  past  life,  as  she  never 
brought  any  matter  fur  absolution.  Slie  was 
extremely  humble  and  keenly  felt  that  otliers 
should  regard  her  as  virtuous,  and  to  avoid  ob- 
servation slic  always  sought  the  most  retired 
corners  of  the  church.  She  asked  of  our  Lord 
that  he  would  not  conduct  her  by  the  way  of 
favours  and  consolations,  but  rather  by  that  of 
hardships  and  adversities,  in  imitation  of  D. 
Maria  Vela,  to  whom  she  was  very  much  de- 
voted, and  whose  life  she  constantly  read  to 
copy  it  in  herself;  and  she  was  so  successful  in 
her  prayer  that  the  tedium,  the  desolations  and 
the  intcriour  agonies  which  she  suffered  would 
have  long  before  caused  her  death  if  the  Lord 
had  not,  as  1  judge,  miraculously  preserved  her 
life  to  increase  her  merit;  and  in  her  desolation 
what  afflicted  her  most  was  the  fear  of  giving 
trouble  to  others,  or  of  seeming  peevish  in  her 
answers.  I  could  extend  this  relation  much  far- 
ther, but  this  letter  will  answer  your  purpose." 
Still  more  diffuse  is  the  juridical  testimony, 
which  Father  Antonio  Monosalvas,  another  of 
Mary  Ann's  confessors,  gave  in  the  first  infor- 
mation taken  in  1670.  And  since  many  of  the 
facts  which  arc  deposed  are  already  related  in 


272  MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


other  places,  I  will  content  mj'self  with  only 
adding  a  few  things  here  in  his  own  words. 
"  The  life,"  said  he,  "  of  the  venerable  Mary- 
Ann  of  Jesus,  was  extraordinary  and  singular 
as  regarded  the  penances,  the  fasts,  and  the 
mortifications  which  she  performed.  The  de- 
ponent saw  a  hair  shirt,  made  something  like 
an  Indian's  under  dress,  which  fitted  tight  to 
the  body,  and  came  down  to  the  girdle,  and  with 
sleeves  to  the  elbows,  and  studded  over  with 
sharp  pointed  steel.  This  hair  cloth  was  woven 
of  hair  so  rough,  that  the  deponent  attests  that 
as  soon  as  he  saw  it  his  flesh  began  to  shudder. 
And  the  deponent  knows  these  things  from  hav- 
ing been  the  spiritual  father  of  the  venerable 
servant  of  God  for  the  space  of  six  or  seven 
years,  a  little  more  or  less,  at  which  time  she 
communicated  what  he  has  deposed  and  what  he 

will  presently  depose During  the 

whole  course  of  her  earthly  career  she  preserved 
the  first  grace  which  she  liad  received  in  bap- 
tism;  and  she  never  sinned  mortally  or  com- 
mitted a  deliberate  venial  sin :  and  any  imper- 
fections which  she  perhaps  had,  were  involuntary 

and  without  deliberation Her 

chastity  was  angelic, — she  never  confessed  any 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  273 


thing  that  cast  a  shade  of  hlemisli  against 
this  virtue.  She  was  naturally  of  a  meek  disiw- 
sition  a,nd  knew  not  what  it  was  to  become 
angry.  The  fervour  and  devotion  which  she 
had  when  she  communicated,  were  so  great  that 
many  times  the  deponent  did  not  know  her, 
because  her  face  became  as  it  were  that  of  an 
angel.  Whenever  she  fixed  her  eyes  upon  the 
most  Blessed  Sacrament,  she  renewed  her  three 
vows  of  chastity,  poverty,  and  obedience.  The 
first  years  of  her  lifS  she  exercised  herself  in 
fervorous  prayers,  giving  at  least  two  hours  to  it 
every  day,  one  in  the  morning  and  the  other  in 
the  evening.  Our  Lord  afterwards  raised  her 
to  such  a  lofty  contemplation,  and  so  close  a 
union  with  her  beloved  Spouse,  that  she  never 
lost  sight  of  the  divine  presence,  and  had  no 
more  need  of  books  to  find  matter  for  contem- 
plation ;  for  whatever  she  saw  or  heard  supplied 
her  with  abundant  material  for  entertaining  her- 
self whole  days  and  entire  nights  in  praising 
and  loving  her  heavenly  Spouse.  In  contem- 
plating the  mysteries  of  the  passion  of  Jesus 
Christ  her  heart  melted  with  love ;  and  here  it 
was  that  her  soul  experienced  the  greatest  con- 
solations and  delights She  was 


274  MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS. 


venerated  and  regarded  as  a  living  saint  every 
where  in  the  city ;  and  she  was  designated  by 
all  by  no  other  name  than  that  of  saint ;  and 
when  parents  desired  any  great  blessing  for 
their  daughters  they  were  accustomed  to  say : — 
*  May  it  please  God  that  our  children  be  like 
the  saint/  meaning  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus." 

Father  Luca  dclla  Cueva,  as  well  as  Father 
Alfonso  Roxas,  left  in  writing  the  fullest  testi- 
monies of  Mary  Ann's  virtues;  the  first  in  a 
manuscript  which  he  sent  from  his  missions 
among  the  infidels  to  Quito,  that  it  might  be 
inserted  in  the  process ;  the  other  in  a  long  dis- 
coui^se  which  he  read  when  the  obsequies  were 
performed  the  second  time.  I  shall  say  nothing 
of  Brother  Ferdinando  della  Croce,  having 
already  had  frequent  occasions  to  mention  him 
in  the  course  of  this  history. 


MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS.  275 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

NUMEROUS  PRODIGIES  WROUGHT  BY  ALMIGHTY 
GOD  THROUGH  THE  INTERCESSION  OP  THE 
BLESSED  MARY  ANN.  A  PEW  OP  THE  MOST 
REMARKABLE  ONES  ARE  GIVEN.  CONVERSIONS 
AND  REFORMATION  OP  LIVES  PRODUCED  BY 
THE  READING   OP   HER   LIFE. 

But  were  the  testimonies  of  men  wanting, 
that  of  the  Almighty  would  certainly  be  suf- 
ficient, wlio,  by  many  and  stupendous  miracles, 
manifested  his  approbation  of  the  sanctity  and 
precious  death  of  his  faithful  servant.  We  will 
relate  a  few  of  them  for  the  purpose  of  exciting 
the  devotion  of  the  faithful  to  implore  her  as- 
sistance and  intercession. 

And  first  of  all,  the  rooms  where  the  Blessed 
Mary  Ann  had  dwelt  were  frequently  seen  at 
night  illuminated  with  a  bright  light;  and  a 
sweet  smell  of  lilies  was  perceived  for  several 
years  over  the  whole  apartment  which  she  for- 
merly occupied.  At  the  report  of  this  prodigy 
many  persons  from  without  obtained  entrance 
into  the  building,  which  had  been  converted 


276  M\RY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


into  a  monastery,  and  judges  were  sent  to  take 
juridical  information  of  the  fact:  and  all 
agreed  that  the  cause  was  supernatural  and 
miraculous,  as  not  a  plant  or  a  branch  of  such 
a  flower  was  to  be  found  in  the  house.  Like- 
wise from  the  hole  where  Mary  Ann's  blood  had 
been  preserved  for  so  many  years,  the  most 
odoriferous  lilies  would  frequently  shoot  forth, 
and  around  them  other  flowers  of  wonderful 
beauty,  although  the  ground  had  never  been 
cultivated,  neither  had  any  plants  of  the  kind 
ever  been  sown  in  the  whole  garden. 

The  Indian,  Catharine,  whom  we  have  so  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  this  history,  dwelt  near 
the  residence  of  the  servant  of  God.  She  was 
weighed  down  with  years,  and  had  almost  en- 
tirely lost  the  sense  of  hearing.  She  attested 
in  the  process  that  many  nights,  when  at  her 
prayers,  she  heard  a  harmonious  concert  of  an- 
gelic voices  issuing  from  the  chamber  of  her 
former  mistress,  and  that  among  them  she  could 
easily  distinguish  that  of  I).  Sebastiana  di 
Casso,  and  high  above  them  all  that  of  the 
Blessed  Mary  Ann,  which  was  heard  above  all 
the  rest.  And  this  alone  cured  her  of  her 
deafness. 


MARY  ANN   OP  JESUS.  277 


Wliilst  D.  Marta  Rodriguez  Paredes,  niece 
of  the  servant  of  God,  Avas  spending  some  days 
at  one  of  hci*  villas  in  the  country,  a  poor  miser- 
able woman  of  the  place  was  sufl'ering  dreadfully 
from  an  acute  pain  in  the  head,  which  gave  her 
no  rest.  Her  mistress,  moved  to  pity  at  the 
sight  of  the  convulsions  of  the  poor  creature,  to 
whom  all  human  remedies  were  of  no  assistance, 
applied  to  her  forehead  a  very  small  piece  of  the 
bone  of  the  Saint,  tying  it  up  in  a  bandage  that 
had  also  been  stained  with  her  blood ;  and  the 
night  being  far  advanced,  the  good  Lady  retired 
to  take  some  repose.  The  young  woman,  al- 
though she  was  suffering  dreadfully,  did  not 
hesitate  to  admit  even  that  night  a  guilty  man- 
servant with  whom  she  had  had  criminal  inter- 
course: but  he  had  hardly  entered  before  the 
two  wretches  saw,  to  their  great  terror,  the  roof 
of  the  house  open,  and  a  most  beautiful  young 
Lady,  with  a  majestic  countenance,  descend  from 
heaven,  with  a  rod  of  fire  in  her  hand,  and  at- 
tended by  four  young  men  with  torches  in  their 
hands.  The  heavenly  young  Lady  approached 
the  place  of  iniquity,  and  looking  at  the  guilty 
woman  with  eyes  flashing  fire:  "//o?«  is  ii  pos- 
sible,'^ said  she,  ^^that  you  could  go  so  Jar  in 

24 


278  MAEY  ANX  OP  JESUS. 


your  impudence  as  to  keep  my  relics  about  your 
person?  Either  remove  them  immediately,  or 
if  you  do  not  I  take  your  life  with  this  rod  of 
fire."  Full  of  terror  the  guilty  woman  quickly 
threw  the  relics  of  Mary  Ann  far  away  from  her, 
and  at  the  same  moment  the  vision  disappeared. 
Both  the  guilty  wretches  remained  for  more 
than  two  hours  so  oppressed  by  terror  that  they 
had  not  the  strength  to  move  a  single  step,  and 
all  they  could  do  was  to  ask  by  loud  cries  par- 
don of  God  and  the  assistance  of  men.  The 
domestics  were  aroused  by  tlieir  cries,  and  from 
the  mouth  of  the  guilty  pair  learnt  the  fact 
which  was  confirmed  by  the  prodigy  of  their 
having  remained  thus  motionless  for  many  hours; 
and  both,  after  having  made  a  good  confession, 
asked  and  obtained  leave  to  be  married  the  very 
day  after  the  apparition  just  mentioned. 

Word  was  brought  to  D.  Girolama  de  Pare- 
des,  sister  of  Mary  Ann,  that  D.  Maria  di  Casso, 
her  daughter  and  wife  of  D,  Alfonso  Sanchez  de 
Luna,  was  at  a  house  in  the  country,  and  in 
great  danger  of  her  life.  Although  the  hour 
was  late  at  night,  D.  Girolama  mounted  a  mule 
and  started  to  visit  her  sick  daughter,  and  whilst 
journeying  on  she  poured  forth  fervent  prayers 


MARY   ANN    OF   JESUS.  279 


to  her  sainted  sister  to  succour  her  daughter  I). 
Maria.  Her  ])rayer  -was  hardly  fii)isljed  belbre 
a  sweet  sleep  overpowered  D.  Girolama  wliilst 
she  was  riding  her  mule,  and  Mary  Ann  ap- 
peared to  her  and  addressed  her  in  the  words : 
^^  Sister,"  said  she,  '^  i/ou  seek  an  impossibility 
of  me,  for  the  death  of  your  daughter  is  already 
decreed,  and  it  is  but  right ;"  and  the  vision  im- 
mediately disappeared.  The  good  Lady  tlien 
awoke,  and  bowing  to  the  adorable  dispensa- 
tions of  Almighty  God,  was  so  fully  persuaded 
that  her  daughter  would  die,  that  when  arrived 
at  the  villa  where  the  sick  person  was,  to  all 
who  endeavoured  to  animate  her  to  hope  that  her 
daughter  would  recover,  she  replied  that  her 
death  was  certain,  as  Mary  Ann  had  told  her 
so:  as  in  fact  it  turned  out,  for  D.  Maria  died 
within  a  few  days. 

D.  Girolama  experienced  the  help  of  her  sis- 
ter more  favourably  inclined  towards  herself  in 
many  accidents,  but  more  especially  in  two 
grievous  infirmities.  The  first  was  when  her 
breast  was  attacked  with  five  cancers,  all  at  the 
same  time,  and  attended  with  horrible  pains, 
which  were  fast  hastening  her  to  the  grave.  In 
this  extremity  the  sick  person  applied  to  the 


280  MARY   ANN    OP   JESUS. 


aifected  parts  a  cloth  saturated  with  the  blood 
whicli  Mary  Ann  had  discharged  from  her  mouth 
after  licr  death,  and  begged  her  that  she  would 
succour  her  as  she  had  succoured  so  many  other 
sick  persons  who  had  recourse  to  her  interces- 
sion. The  termination  of  D.  Girolama's  prayer 
and  her  instantaneous  cure  took  place  at  the 
same  precise  moment.  Tlie  other  sickness  from 
which  she  was  evidently  cured  by  the  prayers 
of  her  sainted  sister,  was  a  malignant  fever,  on 
account  of  which  she  was  given  over  by  the  phy- 
sicians. She  applied  to  her  person  one  of  the 
under-dresses  belonging  to  her  sister,  and  at  the 
touch  of  the  relic  the  fever  suddenly  abated, 
with  a  notable  change  in  tlie  invalid  for  the 
better,  and  in  a  few  days  she  was  perfectly 
cured. 

By  the  application  of  some  relic  belonging  to 
Mary  Ann,  tlie  mother  of  Maria  Vilchez  and 
Father  Ignazio  Cazeres  were  miraculously  cured 
of  violent  fevers,  as  also  a  poor  Indian,  to  whom 
Tommaso  Paredes,  brother  of  the  Saint,  gave  a 
small  particle  of  her  clotted  blood  to  drink  in  a 
glass  of  water. 

For  the  cure  of  D.  Giuseppa  d'Escorza  of  a 
violent  malignant  fever,  nothing  more  was  re- 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  281 


quired  tlian  to  look  at  tlic  picture  of  the  servant 
of  God;  for  no  sooner  was  it  brought  into  the 
invalid's  chamber  tlian  the  fever  immediately 
diminished,  and  in  a  few  dajs  she  was  perfectly 
well. 

D.  Luigi  Troia  D.  D.,  a  canon  of  the  cathe- 
dral and  the  vicar  of  the  Bishop  of  Quito,  was 
despaired  of  by  the  physicians,  and  after  receiv- 
ing the  last  sacraments  disposed  himself  for 
death.  Brother  Ferdinando  della  Croce  paid 
him  a  visit,  and  seeing  the  state  of  the  sick 
person,  sent  for  a  picture  of  Mary  Ann,  and 
when  the  image  was  brought  he  exhorted  the 
sick  man  to  have  recourse  to  her  intercession. 
He  did  so  with  much  confidence ;  and  putting 
the  picture  on  his  head  he  grew  considerably 
better  at  the  same  moment,  and  continued  to 
improve  till  he  was  entirely  cured,  and  survived 
many  years. 

In  the  villa  d'Ybarra  a  poor  Indian  woman 
was  suffering  very  much  from  a  disease  of  the 
heart,  for  which  there  was  no  human  remedy  to 
be  found.  She  applied  with  confidence  to  her 
breast  a  picture  of  Mary  Ann,  and  for  the  rest 
of  her  life  was  perfectly  free  of  that  trouble- 
Bome  disease. 

2i* 


282  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


D.  Francesca  di  Carvial  suffered  from  tumours 
in  the  face,  which,  besides  disfiguring  her, 
caused  her  acute  pains.  D.  Girolama  de 
Paredes,  niece  of  the  servant  of  God,  could 
find  no  remedy  for  a  strange  swelling  of  the 
whole  right  hand.  Another  rirtuous  young 
lady  called  Emmanuela  Infausti,  was  tormented 
in  the  knee  by  a  hard  fleshy  crcsence,  much 
bigger  than  an  egg.  Two  Indians,  one  named 
Angiolina  and  the  other  Catharine  Paredes, 
were  unable  to  move  an  arm,  the  first  from  a 
violent  contraction  of  the  nerves,  the  other  on 
account  of  an  incurable  tumour,  according  to 
the  judgment  of  physicians.  And  finally,  D. 
Francesco  Aureliano  had  a  sore  on  his  back 
from  his  twelfth  year,  which  could  never  be 
healed.  All  these,  by  merely  bandaging  on 
the  parts  affected  some  relic,  either  of  the 
chains  or  the  clothes  of  the  saint,  in  a  short 
time  were  free  and  cured  of  every  disorder 
without  any  sign  of  the  former  disease. 

D.  Francesca  Azevedo,  seeing  a  little  girl  of 
six  years  of  age  horribly  deformed  witli  the 
scrofula  in  the  throat,  bandaged  the  neck  of 
the  innocent  little  creature  with  one  of  the 
ribbons  that  had  been  used  to  adorn  the  coffin 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  283 


of  Mary  Ann,  and  at  tlie  end  of  four  days  the 
little  girl  was  perfectly  cured  of  the  evil. 

I>.  Enimanucle  Guerrero  do  Salazar,  nephew 
of  tlie  servant  of  God,  was  returning  to  Quito 
from  the  villa  of  Ybarra,  and  carried  suspended 
from  his  neck  a  little  picture  of  his  aunt, 
painted  ui)on  a  tablet,  which  he  had  copied 
himself,  because,  as  the  picture  resembled  her 
very  much,  many  desired  to  have  copies  taken 
from  it.  Guerrero  was  travelling  along  in 
company  with  Captain  Diego  Migno,  and  one 
of  his  attendants ;  and  all  three  were  discours- 
ing on  the  road  of  the  virtues  of  Mary  Ann, 
and  of  the  Avonders  performed  by  Almighty 
God  through  her  intercession.  Meanwhile  D. 
Emmanuele  being  come  to  a  torrent,  in  the 
attempt  to  cross  it,  his  beast  made  an  unfortu- 
nate slip  and  pitched  him  head-foremost  into 
the  water,  and,  to  add  to  his  misfortune,  the 
animal  fell  upon  him  with  the  whole  weight  of 
its  body.  His  companions  could  render  him  no 
assistance,  for,  besides  the  danger  of  falling 
themselves  if  they  approached  the  current,  the 
place  was  so  filled  with  rocks  that  there  was  no 
possil)ility  of  dismounting  from  their  saddles. 
In  this  imminent  danger  no  other  resource  was 


284  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


left  him  than  to  invoke  the  aid  of  his  aunt, 
who  was  not  deaf  to  his  supplication.  It  was 
perhaps  half  an  hour  that  D.  Emmanuele  re- 
mained with  his  head  under  water,  and  with 
the  weight  of  the  beast  upon  him,  which  was 
crushing  him,  when  good  luck  would  have  it, 
some  Indians  passed  b}^  and  extracted  Guerrero 
from  under  the  mule,  and  afterwards  lifted  him 
up  from  out  of  the  water,  not  dead,  as  might 
have  reasonably  been  expected,  but  sound  and 
not  in  the  least  hurt,  and  with  Mary  Ann's 
picture  besides  unsoiled  and  untouched.  After 
thanking  his  kind  preserver  with  all  the  affec- 
tion of  his  heart,  as  may  easily  be  imagined, 
they  all  three  resumed  their  journey  and 
arrived  at  the  country  called  Guaygliabamba, 
where  they  halted  to  pass  the  night.  Whether 
it  was  fright  on  account  of  the  danger  he  had 
just  escaped,  or  originated  from  some  other 
cause  Guerrero  was  attacked  that  same  night 
witli  a  violent  dysentery,  of  which  he  thought 
he  would  have  died:  imploring  however  a  second 
time  the  intercession  of  his  aunt,  he  found  him- 
self suddenly  rid  of  his  complaint  and  able  to 
continue  his  journey  the  next  morning  to  Quito. 
D.  Marta  Rodriguez  de  Paredcs  being  one 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  285 


day  in  tlie  sugar-house  belonging  to  her  parents, 
the  hour  being  about  noon,  when  the  sun  was 
shining  and  the  heavens  perfectly  clear,  saw 
that  the  kitchen  of  the  house  was  on  tire,  in 
which  a  Moorish  slave  was  sleeping.  Knowing 
the  danger  of  a  conflagration,  which  would  be 
increased  by  the  blowing  of  the  wind,  D.  Marta 
and  D.  Alfonso,  her  brother,  ran  to  give  assist- 
ance and  prevent  the  fire  from  spreading ;  but 
they  soon  saw  that  all  human  means  would  be 
ineflectual  to  check  it,  and  that  without  doubt 
it  would  extend  to  the  house  and  the  adjoining 
building,  and  after  that  reach  and  destroy  the 
crop  of  sugar  cane,  to  the  serious  loss  of  its 
owners.  In  this  perplexity  D.  Marta  remem- 
bered that  she  had  in  her  room  where  she  slept 
a  picture  of  Mary  Ann,  and  going  after  it  im- 
mediately she  brougiit  it  into  the  yard  of  the 
house,  and  with  great  confidence  pressing  the 
image  in  her  arms:  '^Aunt,"  said  she,  ''how  can 
you  allow  this  little  coimtry  house  of  ours  to  he 
burnt  up?^^  and  after  she  had  said  this  slic  ap- 
proached the  flames  and  held  the  picture  before 
them.  Something  like  little  drops  of  sweat  were 
observed  on  the  face  of  the  picture,  occasioned 
by  its  being  brought  in  close  contact  with  the 


286  MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS. 


raging  clement ;  and  after  this  the  sky  which 
had  been  perfectly  clear  became  suddenly  dark- 
ened, and  such  a  violent  rain  fell  that  the  fire 
■was  totally  extinguished,  the  Moor  saved,  all 
the  furniture  of  the  house  unharmed,  and  only 
the  kitchen,  where  the  fire  originated,  was  partly 
destroyed  Avithout  any  other  damages,  which  at 
one  time  seemed  imminent. 

Diego  Calahorrano,  when  crossing  the  Lata- 
cunga,  a  rapid  and  deep  river,  was  carried  away 
by  the  current,  and  was  in  imminent  danger  of 
being  drowned.  He  had  recourse  in  his  danger 
to  the  servant  of  God,  a  small  particle  of  whose 
dress  he  carried  about  with  him  as  a  relic,  and 
without  knowing  how,  he  found  himself  on  the 
bank  of  the  river,  rescued  from  the  water  and 
consequently  from  death. 

D.  Basilia  Qlmos  was  very  much  troubled 
with  a  growing  tumour  in  her  left  breast,  and 
which  was  pronounced  incurable  by  human  art. 
A  few  of  the  hairs  of  Mary  Ann  were  given  to 
D.  Basilia  as  a  relic,  that  she  might  apply ^hem 
to  the  part  affected ;  but  she  in  place  of  using 
them  for  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  given 
her,  put  them  away  in  a  casket.  For  three  suc- 
cessive nights  she  heard  a  voice  in  her  sleep 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  287 


that  invited  her  to  a[>i>ly  the  aforesaid  relic,  but 
thinking  it  was  wrong  to  give  any  credence  to 
dreams,  she  did  not  obey.  One  day  whilst 
making  her  confession  to  Monsignor  Salvatore 
Bcrmudcz,  Bishop  of  La  Pace,  and  Archbishop 
elect  of  La  Plata,  the  prelate  spoke  to  her  of 
her  siiflFerings,  and  advised  her  to  recommend 
herself  with  confidence  to  the  servant  of  God,  to 
promise  an  alms  in  her  name,  and  lastly  to  apply 
to  the  affected  part  a  relic  of  her.  D.  Basilia 
was  surprised  to  hear  the  prelate  speak  in  this 
manner,  and  frankly  told  him  of  the  voice  she 
had  heard  for  tliree  successive  nights;  then 
without  further  hesitation,  as  soon  as  she  was 
returned  home,  she  placed  the  Saint's  hair  upon 
the  tumour,  and  in  an  instant,  at  the  very  touch, 
tlie  evil  disappeared  and  she  was  perfectly  cured. 
The  prodigy  was  known  all  over  the  city,  and 
several  persons  wishing  that  she  should  testify, 
under  oath,  to  the  fact  in  the  juridical  process, 
the  Lady  made  much  difficulty  about  taking  the 
requisite  oath.  Tiie  day  at  length  appointed 
for  taking  authentic  information  of  the  prodigy 
that  had  happened  to  her  arrived,  and  tliereforo 
becoming  more  timorous  than  ever,  she  abso- 
lutely refused  to  give  her  evidence.     This  re- 


288  MABT  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


fusal  was  certainly  very  untimely,  and  God,  who 
wished  his  servant  glorified,  caused  a  sharp  pain 
to  strike  D.  Basilia  in  the  left  breast,  by  which 
being  ov-ercome  she  began,  of  her  own  accord, 
to  cry  out  that  she  would  take  the  oath  without 
further  difficulty;  and  then  the  pain,  which  was 
only  sent  her  again  for  this  end,  instantaneously 
disappeared,  and  she  never  after  felt  the  least 
symptom  of  it. 

It  would  really  be  an  endless  task  to  gather 
together,  without  omitting  one,  all  the  prodigies 
operated  either  by  touching  the  relics  or  the 
pictures  of  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  by  the  invoca- 
tion of  her  name  or  by  simply  promising  to  con- 
cur in  some  manner  to  promote  her  honour.  A 
great  many  of  these  miraculous  events  may  be 
read  duly  authenticated  in  the  different  pro- 
cesses; and  in  an  especial  manner  she  has  shown 
herself  in  AMERICA  the  particular  patroness  of 
woman  in  labour,  many  of  whom  she  has  rescued 
in  a  most  singular  manner  from  imminent  danger 
of  perishing,  together  with  their  offspring. 

Finally,  the  reading  of  Mary  Ann's  life  alone 
was  the  cause  of  the  conversion  of  many  obsti- 
nate sinners,  and  an  improvement  in  tlie  lives 
of  others.     Not  to  tire  the  reader's  patience,  I 


MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS.  289 


will  only  relate  here  one  single  instance.  There 
lived  in  the  city  of  Quaiaquil,  in  Soutli  America, 
a  young  lady  descended  of  a  noble  family,  whose 
name  was  Catharine.  Her  manners  were  in 
other  respects  innocent,  but  very  gay  and  very 
sprightly;  and  perhaps  in  danger  of  falling  and 
losing  herself  on  account  of  her  excessive  indul- 
gence in  setting  off  her  person  and  in  vain  or- 
naments, which  foolishly  occupied  her  the  best 
portion  of  tlie  day.  On  one  occasion  being  on 
a  visit  with  her  mother  to  the  house  of  some 
relatives,  she  heard  the  company  speak  of  the 
wonderful  virtues  of  Mary  Ann,  and  above  all, 
of  the  extraordinary  eflects  which  an  attentive 
reading  of  her  life  produced  in  every  class  of 
persons.  These  things  appeared  to  the  young 
lady  mere  exaggerations  of  minds  inclined  to  be 
too  credulous ;  and  with  an  air  of  contempt  she 
said  she  would  like  to  read  Mary  Ann's  life  to 
see  if  it  Avould  operate  those  great  wonders  in 
her,  which  they  reported  at  so  cheap  a  rate. 
She  began,  therefore,  from  mere  curiosity,  to 
run  over  with  her  eyes  the  history  of  her  life 
that  had  fallen  into  her  hands ;  and  after  read- 
ing over  a  good  portion  she  went  on  boasting 
that  she  felt  no  change  in  herself  for  the  better. 


25 


290  MARY  ANN   OF  JESUS. 


and  laughed  at  the  credulity  of  others.  She 
came  at  last  to  that  chapter  where  it  is  related 
how  the  servant  of  God,  a  little  child  of  seven 
years,  when  in  the  country,  was  found  on  her 
knees  in  the  woods,  scourging  her  innocent  body 
at  the  same  time  with  a  bundle  of  thorny  herbs: 
and  here  it  was  that  God  had  resolved  to  con- 
vince and  convert  her;  for  Catharine,  at  the 
recital  of  this,  entered  into  herself,  and  compar- 
ing her  vanity  and  delicacy  with  the  penance 
and  austerity  of  that  little  innocent  child,  broke 
forth  into  a  flood  of  bitter  tears  for  her'past 
folly ;  after  this,  stripping  herself  of  every  vain 
ornament,  she  laid  aside  her  rich  and  showy 
clothes  which  she  had  on,  and  to  the  great  won- 
der of  the  whole  city,  appeared  in  the  humble 
dress  of  the  third  Order  of  St.  Dominic.  Not 
even  satisfied  with  this,  she  entreated  her  rela- 
tives, and  succeeded  at  last  in  being  brought  to 
Quito,  where,  in  the  monastery  of  St.  Catharine 
of  Sienna,  she  took  the  religious  habit,  and  cor- 
responding to  the  prodigy  operated  in  her  by 
reading  the  life  of  Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  she  lived 
and  died  in  the  odour  of  no  ordinary  virtue. 

And  this  is  precisely  the  fruit  which,  with 
the   liel})   of  God  and  the  intercession  of  the 


MARY   ANN   OF  JESUS.  291 


Blessed  Mary  Ann,  I  promise  myself  from  my 
slender  exertions.  I  shall  look  upon  myself  as 
well  repaid  if  this  history  edify  and  becomes  the 
means  of  salvation  to  many,  who  Come  with 
minds  well  disposed  to  peruse  it. 


-+•4- 


CHAPTER    XX. 

TWO  MIRACLES  APPROVED  OP  BY  THE  SACRED 
CONGREGATION  OF  RITES  BEFORE  THE  BEATIFI- 
CATION OP  THE  SERVANT  OP  GOD. 

Angela  Polido  Escorza,  a  noble  matron  of 
the  city  of  Quito,  was  in  November  of  ITGO  sud- 
denly assailed  with  acute  pains  in  her  bowels : 
after  this  her  stomach  began  to  swell  in  a 
strange  manner.  Her  physicians  at  first  pro- 
nounced it  an  effect  of  pregnancy,  but  after  nine 
months  and  more  had  passed,  and  the  swelling 
still  increasing  with  the  pains,  they  suspected 
that  it  was  some  very  serious  internal  disease. 
Nor  was  it  long  before  it  began  to  manifest 
itself  with  dangerous  and  mortal  symptoms,  such 
as  frequent  discharges  of  blood,  palpitation  of 
the  heart,  nervousness,  acute  pains  and  spasms, 


292  MARY   ANN   OP   JESUS. 


difficulty  in  breatliing,  and  continual  danger  of 
suffocation.     The  invalid  found  no  rest  by  day 
or  nio-ht,  and  she  was  unable  to  move  herself 
without  the  greatest  pain  and  difficulty.     She 
continued  in  this  state  for  twenty-two  months, 
and  having  now  been  given  over  by  her  physi- 
cians, and  from  prostration  of  strength  reduced 
to  the  last  extremity,  she  ordered  every  descrip- 
tion of  medicine  to  be  removed  from  her  room, 
and  sent  for  Father  Domenico  Coleti,  of  the 
Society  of  Jesus,  to  whom  she  wislicd  to  make 
her  general  confession,  and  so  prepare  herself 
for  death.     A  short  time  after  she  received  the 
holy  viaticum  and  extreme  unction  with  senti- 
ments of  much  devotion.     Whilst  they  were  re- 
citing the  last  prayers  for  the  recommendation 
of  the  departing  soul,  raising  her  eyes  she  saw 
an  image  of  the  venerable  Mary  Ann,  which  was 
suspended  on  the  wall  opposite  to  her  bed,  and 
at  the  same  time  she  felt  a  rising  in  her  heart 
of  a  firm  confidence  of  obtaining  a  cure  through 
tlie  intercession  of  the  servant  of  God,  for  whose 
sake  she  had  already  promised  to  give  five  pias- 
ters of  silver.     She  sent  to  get  a  small  particle 
of  her  bone,  which  she  kept  as  a  relic,  and  di- 
viding it  into  two   parts:  "0  most  glorious 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  293 


Saint,^'  said  she,  ^^  and  my  fellow-countrywoman, 
horn  in  Quito  like  myself,  ah,  why  do  you  permit 
me  to  suffer  such  pains  without  the  least  relief? 
I  promise  you,  in  case  I  am  cured,  to  make  a 
novena,  and  to  pay  the  five  piasters  which  I  have 
promised^  Ilaving  said  this,  she  swallowed  a 
piece  of  the  bone,  and  with  the  other  made  the 
sign  of  the  cross  over  her  stomach.  At  this 
moment  D.  Giuseppa  Castcllo  entered  the  room, 
and  fixing  her  eyes  upon  the  invalid,  in  her. 
astonishment  she  cried  aloud:  "  0,  my  jingiola, 
what  has  become  of  your  disease?^'  At  these 
■words  the  invalid,  as  if  coming  to  herself,  ran 
her  hand  over  her  stomach,  which  she  found  in 
its  natural  state.  The  pains  were  all  gone,  all 
bad  symptoms  had  disappeared,  and  sound  and 
vigorous  she  rose  and  sat  up  in  her  bed;  then 
hastily  dressing  herself  she  ran  below  to  call 
the  servant-maids,  who  were  lamenting  in  their 
own  apartment  the  approaching  death  of  their 
mistress ;  she  assembled  her  friends  and  neigh- 
bours, and  with  great  jubilee  related  to  them 
her  miraculous  cure.  The  whole  city  was  full 
of  it,  and  they  gave  public  thanks  to  Almighty 
God,  amidst  a  great  concourse  of  people. 

D.  Angiola  enjoyed   perfect   health  for  the 

26« 


294.  MART  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


next  twelve  years;  but  in  1771  slie  was  tried 
by  Almighty  God  with  a  new  and  dangerous 
sickness.  She  felt  a  great  swelling  in  her 
womb,  which  in  a  short  time  became  so  big 
that  she  was  scarcely  able  to  move.  D. 
Giuseppe  Rosario,  a  celebrated  physician,  was 
called  in  haste,  wlio,  after  making  his  observa- 
tions^  pronounced  the  origin  of  the  disease  to 
be  two  internal  scirrhus — substances  of  extra- 
ordinary size,  which  were  incurable,  on  account 
of  the  difficulty  of  applying  suitable  remedies. 
The  pious  lady  wished  to  receive  the  last 
sacraments  and  make  her  confession  to  D.  Gio- 
vanni Ignazio  de  Aquilar,  the  parish  priest,  who 
exhorted  her  to  have  recourse  to  the  venerable 
Mary  Ann,  and  ask  of  her  tlie  grace  of  a  second 
cure.  The  lady  followed  his  advice;  and  all 
that  day,  which  was  the  10th  of  February  1772, 
she  held  an  image  of  the  saint  pressed  to  her 
bosom.  The  next  day  she  wished  to  go  to  the 
church,  to  receive  holy  communion,  and  was 
little  less  than  carried  thither  loaded  with 
pains.  She  had  scarcely  received  the  body  of 
our  Lord,  when  she  heard  an  interiour  voice, 
which  said  to  her  that  the  grace  desired  had 
been  granted  her.    And  so  in  fact  it  was ;   for, 


MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS.  295 


getting  upon  her  feet,  slie  quickly  descended 
the  steps  of  the  altar  by  herself,  and  having 
come  to  the  centre  of  the  church  she  cried  out 
in  a  loud  voice,  "^  miracle."  She  lieard  mass, 
kneeling,  and  returned  home  attended  by  a 
great  crowd,  perfectly  cured.  Of  these  two 
miracles  there  can  be  no  doubt,  on  account  of 
the  nature  of  the  diseases,  as  well  as  on  account 
of  the  multitude  of  witnesses,  and  above  all  on 
account  of  the  decree  of  the  Sovereign  PontiJSF, 
by  which  both  of  them  have  been  approved. 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

INTRODUCTION  OF  THE  CAUSE  INTO  THE  SACRED 
CONGREGATION  OF  RITES.  ITS  PROGRESS  AND 
TERMINATION. 

On  account  of  the  numerous  prodigies  which 
Almighty  God  wrought  in  every  part  of  South 
America  at  the  intercession  of  the  venerable 
Mary  Ann  of  Jesus,  the  citizens  of  Quito,  and 
especially  the  relatives  of  the  servant  of  God, 
made   humble   supplication   to   Monsiguor  the 


296  MARY  ANN  OP  JESUS. 


Bishop,  that  he  would  bj  authority  take  juri- 
dical testimony  in  regard  to  her  life,  virtues, 
and  miracles.  The  first  initiatory  steps,  there- 
fore, were  commenced  in  1670  by  Monsignor 
Alfonso  della  Pegna,  and  in  the  course  of  eight 
years  a  great  number  of  witnesses,  most  of 
them  ocular,  were  examined  in  due  form  and 
with  much  care.  D.  Giovanni  Guerrero  di 
Salazar,  nephew  of  Mary  Ann,  was  to  have 
carried  the  authenticated  cojjy  to  Rome;  but 
the  ship  in  which  he  sailed  was  overtaken  by  a 
furious  tempest  near  the  port  of  Havana  and 
wrecked,  and  all  was  lost  except  the  passengers. 
A  second  expedition  undertaken  in  1706  suc- 
ceeded no  better ;  for  the  ship  which  carried 
the  acts  fell  into  the  power  of  the  enemies  of 
Spain,  who  pillaged  these  seas.  The  citizens 
of  Quito  did  not  however  desist  from  promot- 
ing the  cause  of  the  beatification  of  their 
fcllow-townswoman,  and  in  1751  they  despatch- 
ed a  third  copy  of  the  process,  which  in  1754 
finally  reached  Rome.  The  validity  of  it 
having  been  discussed  and  approved  of,  thei 
formal  introduction  of  the  cause  was  proposed 
in  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites,  which 
was  admitted  and  signed  on  the  17th  of  De- 


MARY  ANN  OF  JESUS.  297 


cembor,  1757,  by  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  Bene- 
dict XIV. 

The  next  year  letters  in  due  form  were  ex- 
pedited to  the  Bisliop  of  Quito  to  begin  the 
process  or  examination,  authorized  by  the  Pope, 
"with  regard  to  the  general  estimation  in  Aviiich 
she  was  held;  and  at  the  same  time  other 
letters  of  the  same  kind  for  the  formation  of 
the  process,  with  respect  to  her  virtues  and 
miracles  in  particular,  taking  the  testimony  of 
those  who,  from  their  advanced  age,  were 
likely  to  die  soon.  All  these  processes  being 
come  to  Rome,  and  with  them  the  canon  D. 
Giovanni  del  Castillo,  sent  expressly  by  the 
city  of  Quito  to  solicit  and  promote  the  cause, 
the  question  of  her  virtues  was  proposed  in 
three  distinct  Congregations,  and  at  last  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff,  Pius  YI.,  solemnly  approved 
and  declared  them  heroic. 

Owing  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  times  which 
occurred  under  the  two  Pontiff?,  Pius  VI.  and 
VII.,  the  cause  proceeded  no  further,  and  only 
in  these  last  years  it  was  resumed  by  tlie  care 
of  the  Reverend  Father  John  Roothaan,  Gene- 
ral of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  to  whom  its  pro- 
motion was  confided  by  the  Bishop  and  the  city 
of  Quito.     And  it  was  but  just  that  the  Society 


298  MAEY  ANN   OP  JESDS 


should  take  an  interest  in  promoting  the  glory 
of  one  who  had  been  as  it  were  intimately  con- 
nected with  it. 

Two  miracles  were  then  proposed  to  be  dis- 
cussed, and  after  having  been  thoroughly  sifted 
in  all  due  forms,  in  three  Congregations,  his 
Holiness,  Pope  Pius  IX.,  approved  them  on  the 
11th  of  January,  1847,  and  on  the  29th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1850,  declared  that  they  might  safely 
proceed  to  the  solemn  beatification,  which  after- 
wards took  place  in  the  Vatican  Basilic,  on  the 
10th  day  of  November  of  the  year  1853,  in 
presence  of  their  Eminences  the  Cardinals  be- 
longing to  the  sacred  Congregation  of  Kites, 
the  Consultors  of  the  same,  the  Chapter,  and 
Vatican  Seminary.  Eeverend  Father  Peter 
Beckx,  General  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  pre< 
sented  himself  before  his  Eminence  Cardinal 
Patrizi,  begging  him  that  he  would  deign  to 
order  the  publication  of  the  Apostolic  Brief; 
this  favour  being  granted  and  the  Brief  read, 
the  image  of  the  beatified  was  immediately 
uncovered,  amid  the  festive  sounds  of  the 
sacred  bells  and  the  discharge  of  artillery; 
and  after  singing  the  Ambrosian  Hymn,  a 
solemn  pontifical   mass,  with   splendid   music, 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  299 


was  intoned  by  Monsignor  Biglii,  Arclibisbop 
of  Filippi,  and  Yicar  of  the  Vatican  Chapter. 
At  half-past  three  in  the  afternoon  his  Holiness 
descended  from  his  Vatican  residence  to  the 
august  Basilic,  accompanied  by  the  sacred  Col- 
lege and  his  noble  court,  to  venerate  the  newly 
beatified  saint. 

The  solcnm  beatification  of  the  Blessed  Mary 
Ann  of  Jesus  would  have  taken  place  much 
sooner,  if  the  disturbances  occasioned  by  in- 
ternal dissensions  and  party  strifes  in  Quito 
had  not  prevented  it.  Let  us  hope  neverthe- 
less, tliat  the  newly  beatified  saint  will  look 
down  from  heaven  with  a  propitious  eye  upon 
her  country,  restore  peace  and  tranquility  to  it, 
and  above  all  preserve  it  from  the  assaults  and 
snares  of  the  enemies  of  Religion  and  the 
Catholic  Church. 

Deo  Gratias  et  Marij:  et  Marianx^e. 


300  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


INSCRIPTIONS 

Affixed  in  the  Vatican  Basilic  at  the  solemn 
Beatification  of  the  Venerable  Servant  of  God. 


MARIANNAE.    DE.    PAREDES.    ET.    FLOREI.    TIRGINI. 

QYAE.    ET.    QVITI.    LILIVNI.    DICTA.    EST. 

PIVS.    PAPA.    IX.    PONT.    MAX. 

MINORES.    CAELITVM.    IIONORES. 

XII.   KAL.    DEC.   ANN.    REP.    SAL.    MDCCCLIII. 

DECERNIT. 


XL 

JOANNAM.    SANGVERA. 

SACERDOTI.    OPERANTI.    ADSTANTEM. 

MARITVS.    POGIONE.   DISTRICTO. 

IN.    TEMPLVM.    INVADIT. 
CONFVGIT.   JOANNA.   IN.    SINVM. 


MARY   ANN   OP  JESUS.  301 


B.    JIARIANN^.   V^LIC.    ADORANTIS. 

QYJB.   IRAM.    FORENTLS.   MARITI.    FRANGIT 

AGNOQVE.    MANSVETIOREJI.   REDDIT. 


III. 

ERO.   QVASI.   ROS.   ISRAEL. 

GERMINABIT.     SICVT.     LILIVM. 

ET.    ERVMPET.    RADIX.    EJOS.   VT.    LIBANI. 

LAETABITVR.    DESERTA.    ET.   INVIA. 

ET.    EXVLTABIT.    SOLITVDO. 

ET.   FLOREBIT.   QVASI.   LIBIVM. 


IV. 

ANGELAM.   POLIDO.   A.   DVPLICI.    LETHALI.    MORB0. 

EX.   IMPROVISO.   INCOLVMEM. 

JOSEPHVS.    CASTELLO.   MIRATOR. 

PRODIGDQVE.   AVCTOREM.    QV-ilERIT. 

B.  JIARIANNAE.  IMAGINEM.  ET.  OS. 

•  CVJVS.    PARTEM.   DEGLVTIERAT. 

ANGELA.   OSTENDIT. 
26 


302  MARY  ANN   OF   JESUS. 


POST.    ANNOS.    XII.   EADEJt.    ANGELA. 
DVPLICI.    SCIRRHOMATE.    AD.    MORTEM. 

CERTO.    TRAHITVR. 

B.    MARIANNAM.    ANGELA.    ADVOCAT. 

SESEQVE.    AD.    TEMPLVM.    DEFERRL    IVBET. 

CAELESTL   PASCITVR.    CONVIVIO. 

EX.    IMPROVISO.    ITERVM. 

INCOLVMITATEM.    RECVPERAT. 


THE   END. 


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published  with  the  approbation  and  under  the  patronage  tf  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Tonrs,  and  passed  through  several  editions  in  a  very  short 
time.    Every  Catholic  youth  in  the  country  should  read  this  lovely  stoi-y. 

THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  PRAYER  BOOK.  This  excellent  little  work 
has  been  arranged  by  a  Catholic  clergyman,  expressly  with  the  design 
of  supplying  our  Catholic  youth  a  Prayer  Book  better  adapted  to  their 
wants  than  any  heretofore  published.  Price,  in  good  binding,  only  18^:^ 
cents. 

THE  HYMN-BOOK.  This  beautiful  little  book  contains  160  pages  of 
the  moat  favorite  Hymns,  and  is  unquestionalily  the  cheapest  and  best 
Hymn  Book  ever  printed  in  America.  It  contains  very  many  new  and 
favorite  hymns  not  heretofore  published,  and  has  tho  apju-obation  of  our 
Right  Rev.  Bishop.    Price  614  cents,  or  50  cents  per  dozen. 

MANUAL  OF  THE  SODALITY  OF  THE  HOLY  ANGELS.  Contain- 
ing the  Little  Office,  Litanys,  Hymns,  and  other  devotions  to  the  Holy 
Angels.    Price  GJ.^  cents,  or  50  cents  per  dozen. 

HEROIC  ACTS  OF  CHARITY,  in  behalf  of  tho  Souls  in  Purgatory. 
Price  3  cents,  or  31  cents  per  dozen. 

THE  STATIONS,  OR  HOLY  WAY  OF  THE  CROSS.  Pul)lished  with 
the  approbation  of  oiu-  liij^ht  Rev.  Bishop.  Price,  in  neat  covers,  C 
cents,  or  50  cents  per  dozen. 

-Kg-Orders  for  the  above  valuable  works  respectfully  solicited. 


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